Arc of the Phoenix
by YellingToast
Summary: Jaune Arc's life was a mess. His father - a cripple and an abusive drunk. His mother and sisters - gone who knows where. On top of all that, he started having these strange dreams about his death. When his actual death comes knocking and one of the figures in his dreams becomes reality, Jaune must make a choice. To stay as he is - or to rise up and face destiny head on.
1. Here We Go Again

**Hey guys, so I know this isn't the new chapter I promised, but as I was planning out how the ending to this little arc (hehe bad puns) would go, I realized I messed up bad. Like real bad. I realized I totally mischaracterized Jaune within these first two chapters. So, I decided I needed to go back and fix that. 'Cause otherwise, it totally derails my plans for later and I rather do this now when I have the time and patience for it. I'll elaborate exactly why at the end of this chapter, so feel free to skip my reasoning.**

 **So, for the people new to this story, welcome! I apologize if there is a quality/style/tone etc. dip between the first and second chapter, I'm working on updating it as we speak. To those who are caught up, I apologize again for not having a new chapter out today. I'm going to _try_ to have a new chapter next Monday. **

* * *

_Drip..._

 _Drip..._

 _Drip..._

Pain. Resignation. _Irony_. The man felt all of these things as he slumped onto the broken section of wall. He smirked despite the agony it caused him. Of all the things that could do it, bad luck was the one he was least expecting. Fate can be an ass at times.

 _Drip..._

 _Drip..._

He looked up towards his assailant. A younger man, carrying a huge-ass sword. The moonlight glinted off the silver steel...straight into his eyes. Even when he is about to die, the kid still found a way to annoy him. The boy stood there, rock still. He could see his shoulders that were covered by his grey dress shirt shaking, most likely in grief. What a wuss. People die all the time - only, he was about to become apart of that statistic.

 _Drip..._

The blood that coated the tip of the young man's sword continued to follow the pull of gravity as it _splashed_ onto the ground. What a mess. When _he_ killed his opponents, even the few times on accident, he always made sure it was clean. Can't have any evidence for the authorities now, eh?

 _Squelch_

He looked down and saw his wound continuing to bleed. What a way to go. Death by accident. The asshole has what he needs to save her, though. If only he got _moving_. He raised his head, struggling to force the air into and out of his lungs, while searching for the young man's eyes. Red locked onto gold. Loss met determination. Hunter met criminal.

" _Go."_

This seemed to jolt the grieving man out of his funk, who looked over him with pity. _Pity_. Such a useless feeling. Only serves to bog down someone in the end. Especially, when it matters.

 _Clank_

The silver hunk of metal that boy called a sword shifted onto his back. He nodded once and turned, his maroon cape matching the mess of blood he left behind. Finally, the boy departed.

 _Finally, some peace and quiet._

 _I wonder how the finale will play out for the rest? You know what? I actually don't care._

 _Fuck'em._

The man felt his blood turn icy and his breathing slowed to a crawl.

 _Oh, here it comes._

 _Here we go again, assholes._

* * *

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

Jaune's eyes flew open and reached to plug the tide of blood stemming from his abdomen-.

Wait, no. That was a dream. The same one again. Three damn days in a row. He sighed and threw himself back down onto his pillow.

 _It's too damn early for this._

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

Jaune peeked open an eye and looked towards his torturer.

 _I can't believe I wasted a week's allowance on you._

The alarm clock just sat there, it's green glow mocking him from beneath the plastic surface.

 _Beep_

Jaune groaned again and rolled off the torn quilt that covered his bed. His feet hit the floor with a dull _smack,_ and nearly fell when his toe caught one of the holes that littered the wooden surface. He walked towards a sound so annoying, it could drive the Brothers themselves insane. It resided on top of his "desk". The "desk" nothing more than a piece of flat wood with four particularly large tree branches nailed to it. He smashed his hand onto the top of the little devil once he reached the "desk."

 _Thank the Gods. I wonder, if I hide this thing somewhere Jet can't reach it, will he drive himself further insane?_

Jaune sighed before shuffling his feet over to where his dresser lay. And it actually was a dresser this time, fully intact. Except for the leaning. Or the missing drawers. Or the fact that the top half of the dresser was gone. Ok, maybe intact was a _little_ strong of a word. Inside the "dresser", Jaune spotted his latest outfit. A shirt so patchwork it could fit seamlessly with his quilt, once blue jeans that had faded so badly they looked grey and a green hunting cloak that...actually this one was nice. If only because Jaune snagged it from a particularly drunk asshole who decided hitting on girls who obviously weren't interested was the key to finding eternal happiness. Hint: it wasn't. So, Jaune "liberated" his new cloak from the man once he passed out.

 _Man, I'll never get over how cool I look in this thing. Especially since...well it hides everything that would make me look lame. So, the rest of my clothes._

Jaune's eyebrow twitched at the thought as he finished getting ready. He took a deep breath in, and then out.

 _Alright, Jaune. Same plan as usual._

Jaune steeled himself and opened his door. A loud _creeeaaak_ noise filled the hallway as Jaune winced.

 _Damn door. If this thing gets me caught, I'm tearing it down and using it's scrap to fix my dresser._

Jaune moved swiftly down the quiet hallway. He passed several closed doors that once held vibrant energy and happiness, now still. Soon, Jaune heard the tell-tale sign of someone drunk to oblivion. Loud ass snoring.

He reached its source - a huge living room that looked like it could accommodate a Goliath, height and all. Slumped awkwardly on the couch was _him._ With a protruding beer belly that rivaled his mother at the later stages of pregnancy, the man who once was his father cut an impressive figure. The fat that appeared around his arm and leg showed how seriously the man took his exercise. The rust that coated his crude metal limbs made it abundantly clear his care for personal hygiene. Finally, the beer bottles that littered the floor and the cigars that dirtied the couch showed how determined his father was to keep vices away from minors. All in all, a very noble and righteous figure.

Jaune snorted in disgust and snuck through the room, being careful not to knock over any of the empty bottles. He stealthily approached his target - the mantle, upon which hung his family's heirloom. Crocea Mors. The once proud blade hung haphazardly, as if the drunken fool wanted to get it down, but gave up halfway. Jaune grasped the blade, firmly secured in its sheath-shield, and made his way towards the front door.

He paused right before it.

 _I'll have until about two before he wakes his ass up._

Jaune grinned and made sure his weapon was secured onto the brown belt that looped around his jeans.

 _Plenty of time._

* * *

He hated the forest.

The light broke through the tree branches and cast his surroundings in deep shadow. The red tinge from the early morning sun made it even worse. The not-so-subtle _snaps_ and _thuds_ from his boots echoing out around the trees didn't help either. It was necessary, though.

 _Two more years..._

Jaune smiled weakly at that, all the while, his hands were shaking madly as he grabbed his cloak.

 _Still doesn't change the fact that this place gives me the creeps._

As Jaune continued his leisurely stroll through the woods, he spotted his destination through the thick bramble. The Ruins.

 _Oh, thank the Gods. I was gonna lose it if I spent any more time in there._

Jaune moved forward, nearing a sprint as he did so, disregarding all sense of caution or stealth – not that he had much to begin with. He moved with purpose, striding between the towering ruins that dotted the clearing he had entered. He came to a sudden halt and turned to his left.

A towering figure that threatened to blot out the sun quickly moved towards him as – no. That was just the shadow of the training dummy that fell over due to the wind.

 _Oh Dust. I almost had a heart attack._

The dummy itself was little more than twigs and tree branches haphazardly glued and taped together to form… _something_ that, if Jaune squinted, sort of resembled a human.

Jaune grunted as he lifted the heavy object back into an upright position. He retrieved some tape he had left near the little training center he had set up and with the grace of a Goliath trying to tap-dance - taped the thing back together. He stepped back, admiring his handiwork as he gazed around at the arena to make sure nothing else was out of place.

The arena itself was rather small, yet extremely detailed in appearance and decoration. It had bleachers surrounding it except for a small hole that served as an entrance. Directly opposite of the entrance was a box with a window that Jaune could only guess, served as a VIP box of sorts. Of course, even if one resided inside the box, one would only be greeted by the cold, grey rock that this entire village was made of.

Stone, Stone, Stone. No matter which building Jaune had stumbled into, everything was made out of the same freakin' stone. Cold to the touch, no matter how hot it got during the summer, or how long the sun shined, the stone was _always_ cold. Jaune sighed in frustration as he unsheathed Crocea Mors, readying himself into a battle stance.

 _Alright, Jaune. Focus._

And what a battle stance it was. Feet stuck out at an odd angle, arms stiff as a board and legs stuck out so far that he looked like he would do a split any moment.

He swung his sword in a wide arc, allowing it to hit the side of the dummy with a dull _smack_. The dummy spun in place due to the force of Jaune's blow - he raised his shield up to block one of the dummy's outstretched arms that raced to meet-and-greet the side of his face. Jaune shuddered as he shouldered the blow from the patchwork attacker and made to strike again.

Jaune continued to practice until the sun rose directly above his head.

 _Whew, I think that's enough for now. Better go fix lunch and check on what I need._

Jaune sheathed his sword into his shield and placed it onto his hip before moving out of the area, towards one of the most intact houses in this region. This house actually had all four walls, and its roof, still standing. The only one within a block. Jaune approached the front door.

He sighed as he entered the room, noting the lack of Dust in the lamps hanging precariously from the ceiling.

 _Damn it, must have left them on overnight last time I came here. Jeesh, for something being lauded as "Nature's Wraith", Dust sure seems to exhaust itself quite easily. I'll have to get some more Burn Dust crystals next week when Jet gives me my allowance. Oh well, at least the ones by the door are still ready to go._

Jaune rubbed his temples in frustration, before sighing again and going back to his task at hand.

Cooking...

* * *

Jaune exited his little safe-house and noted the harsh light from above was waning slightly.

 _Alright, almost time to head back. Jet will be up soon, better not piss him off more than he already is._

As he turned to close the door behind him-

A giant black paw smashed into his backside, knocking the air from his lungs and flinging him through the door into the room he just exited.

 _FUCK!_

Jaune hit the wall on the far side of the room with a sickening, _crunch._

 _ **Shit!**_ _There goes my leg. Damn it all this_ _ **hurts!**_

Jaune tried to keep himself calm. He looked back towards the doorway-

Only to see the giant hole where the door used to be - occupied by a humongous shadow.

It stood on all fours, completely in shadow. No, it wasn't in a shadow. It's body was pitch freakin' black.

 _Grimm..._

Its body built like a truck - a very muscly and fur-ridden truck. The head, it seemed, served to only contrast the rest of the beast. Covering its face was a bone white mask that had red lines leading up to its eyes…

Its eyes…

Bloody red orbs of light.

The bear-like creature roared at him and started moving slowly forward, it's feet causing the whole house to shake. Jaune groaned and tried to lean up into a sitting position, but froze as he noticed the Grimm had stopped and was just...staring at him.

Jaune blinked and realized everything was starting to blur. The shadows around him started to stretch and warp into…

Jaune's breath hitched.

 _No..._

The Grimm slowly stood up as the shadows approached and...were _absorbed_ into the Grimm.

The Grimm's form slowly morphed- stretching into something that looked...like a man. The man's details were shrouded in black, but Jaune had recognized that silhouette.

 _no...no...No, No, NO!_

The silhouette glanced around the room in confusion, before finally noticing Jaune at the far wall.

 _He...he...This isn't real. He isn't here. It's not possible. I know where he is. This isn't real. HE CAN'T BE HERE!_

The giant shadow...grinned.

Jaune whimpered.

 _Dad…_

Jaune's vision blurred again...and the silhouette was...gone.

 _Oh, Gods. I was hallucinating. Ok, calm down Jaune. Deep breaths, in and out._

Jaune felt his heartbeat gradually slow down.

 _Ok, now why hasn't that Grimm eaten my face yet?_

In the shadow's place, the Grimm stood there, sniffing the air, as if it were-

Jaune's eyes widened in shock.

 _It's looking for me! It...it can't see me? Why…_

Jaune took a second look at the creature and noticed something… odd. The orbs of red where its eyes should have been were dimmed, almost as if…

Jaune would have smacked himself upside the head if his arms didn't refuse to move another inch.

 _The damn thing is blind! How the hell didn't I notice that earlier?_

Jaune breathed out a sigh of relief.

 _All right. Now, I need to figure out how to get out of here...Shit. The windows are too high for me to reach with my leg and the front door's the only way out…_

Jaune squinted as the light coming in from one of the windows reflected off of something near the Grimm. There, near its feet, was _several_ somethings glinting with a red tinge, almost like shattered glass.

Shattered glass...

 _...Fuck me._

The Grimm suddenly stiffened- a low, almost feral, growl emanating from its throat. It slowly turned towards Jaune- beady, red eyes locked on to his position.

 _Oh, shit._

Jaune fumbled to reach the object within his cloak that would become his lifeline. His hands grabbed the smooth, almost glossy object in his fingers as he breathed hard.

 _This is such a horrible idea._

The Grimm started lumbering towards him again. It's paws shaking the cold, stone floor beneath them.

 _Well, I don't have much of a choice do I?_

The Grimm began snarling in anticipation as it slowly lumbered…

 _Screw it. Either way, I'm out of time._

 _Scarlet…_

 _I'm sorry._

Jaune flicked a switch on the small, metallic device in his hands and tossed the object towards the red objects on the floor. The lighter hit the Burn Dust right in front of the Grimm and all Jaune saw was white.

* * *

Jaune felt like shit. Jaune groaned as he slowly came to. He _really_ felt like shit. Jaune slowly opened his eyes, expecting the beast of Grimm to be towering over him, ready to devour him alive…

 _Well, I'll be damned._

There, on the bare stone floor, lay the beast. Or whatever was left of it. Giant holes that seared red pocketed its body, making the terrifying force of wrath look like…

Cheese. Swiss freakin' cheese.

Jaune would have laughed if he still had vocal cords. Instead, a sad groan/retching noise came out.

 _Well, better check the damage. Which shouldn't be good based on_ that _pitiful excuse of a laugh._

Jaune looked down and nearly passed out again. His skin was completely gone, save for a few patches he could feel near his eyes. His leg, still broken, was twisted at a...well, a rather horrifying angle. There was a cut near his side- he could feel the wetness and smelled the metal the only blood released. He could _feel_ his muscles _burning_ as lingering particles of the Burn Dust gathered on him. This...this was bad. _Really_ bad.

 _Well this sucks. Surviving an encounter with that huge Grimm, with no official Hunter training whatsoever, only to succumb to my injuries. If it wasn't so sad, I would laugh at the irony. Or, If my vocal cords were still in one piece._

Jaune glanced around his former safe-house, noticing the miniature fires that had seemed to appear out of nothing. The stone floor was warm and comforting.

 _Finally. Took starting a literal explosion, just to heat up these damn floors._

Jaune suddenly realized, this was it. No last minute rescue. No valiant hero to treat his injuries. Just...death.

The realization didn't startle him as much as he thought- no, hoped it would. It seemed he had stopped caring at some point and had just never realized it. Kinda sad, but nothing Jaune could do for it now. He snuggled up in his trusty hunting cloak, which had _somehow_ survived the explosion, and waited for the end.

Before he could though, a face came to his mind. With a bright smile that could wash away whatever darkness it encountered, a hopeful light within her crimson eyes that seemed to see past all negativity, and a laugh that seemed to signal the end to all sadness in the world.

 _Scarlet…_

Jaune's face roared in pain as he tugged what remained of his lips into a smile.

 _I'm sorry, I couldn't be there. To see you again. I'm sorry, I couldn't find you after all these years. I'm sorry, I couldn't free myself from...him. I'm so sorry, I'll never again be able to tell you the stories of our ancestors- how Julius Arc carved through the Grimm like cloth, or how Cornelius Arc helped lead the great armies of Vale against the other Kingdoms that threatened us. I'm sorry, I won't be there to keep the nightmares away like in the past. I'm sorry, I won't be there as you find the person that will treat you better than anyone else. I'm so sorry...I couldn't be a better brother._

Jaune felt the tears that welt up in his eyes being vaporized by the Dust still lingering on his skin.

 _Well I think it's time. Wouldn't want to keep the Brothers waiting, even for you sis. Well goodbye Remnant. You messed with my life so much, I'm not sure if I'm even thankful for being here in the first place. Except for Scarlet. If there's one thing I'm thankful for, it's her. Alright, time to get this show on the-_

 _Caw Caw._

Jaune frowned at being interrupted, but before he could finish his monologue, he heard it.

"Hey, uh, anyone alive in there?"

A voice.

Jaune's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

 _Holy shit, really? I make my peace with you fuckers and you pull this?_

"Hellloooooo?"

 _Hmm, that voice actually sounds familiar. One of Jet's goons perhaps? Nah, they were all cowards who wouldn't leave the village unless they were_ forced _to. No, it sounds sort of like-_

 _Bullshit._

"Holy shit, look at this house. Hey is there…oh no."

 _No way._

"Hey kid, can you hear me? Speak or nod or something if you're there. Shit this doesn't look good. Did you drain your- wait. You don't have it unlocked, do you? You've got to be shitting me, kid. What the hell you doin' out here with no Aura?"

 _This can't be happening._

"Oi, kid I'm going to do something I'm probably going to regret shortly, but it will save your life, trust me."

 _No this is another one of those dreams. That's the only way. He's not real, he's just a figment of my imagination appearing before I pass! He can't exist, its fucking impossible!_

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

 _This feeling…No way is this dream. This power I feel now is too real, but he can't exist! He's not real-_

"Alright kid, its ok now. I've just unlocked your Aura to save you and drained myself in the process. You might have some scars, but consider them battle scars. Trust me, it gets all the ladies. Now, considering the severity of your injuries, you will probably pass out soon. Looking around, I noticed the remains of a bunch of survival gear, as well as that little training arena you set up. There's also the fact a kid your age is actually out in these Grimm infested woods _without_ his freakin' Aura unlocked. Ya, know? The greatest defense against the Grimm? Sort of clues me into the fact you don't wanna be found. Now, since it's sort of my fault you're like this, how about I make you a deal? In exchange for surviving against my bad judgement, I'll take you back to my place - without alerting the authorities - and _Patch_ you up."

The man seemed to snicker and Jaune could faintly hear the words _Puns_ and _Bad influences_ before the impossible man looked back at him expectantly.

 _Holy shit he's actually real. That means that dream I've been having…is real too? Shit this doesn't make any sense- whoa, all that energy… is just gone. Don't tell me…_

"Oh, there you go. Night, night. My nieces will be so excited I brought them a boy, but if you get any ideas kid...hehe. Trust me, this blade isn't all for show.

 _Shit_

* * *

 **Hey guys, hopefully ya'll liked this re-write. I tried to keep the plot the same (except to fill in some holes, i.e. Qrow probably should have taken Jaune to the hospital in the original, his excuse was flimsy at best and completely irresponsible at worst. His exact reasoning, though it was hinted at here, will be explained later.) and wanted to cement Jaune's character, 'cause I really didn't do as good as job as I thought I did. I also hinted more about Jaune's father and _hinted_ is the key word here. Instead of saying it outright like in the original. Also, I wanted to show more about Scarlet's and Jaune's relationship, how he views her, etc. **

**Also, while I may have a comedic tone/voice in certain parts of the story, this isn't a comedy. I really don't like them TBH. Unless they are done _really_ well like Coeur's White Sheep. Even then, I struggled through the first two chapters before really getting into it. Anyways, that's enough of me for today. I'll be working on Ch.2 of the rewrite this week, hopefully getting it out by Friday, but no promises. **

**Please Review, Favorite, and Follow if you enjoyed!**

 **See ya next time!**


	2. Help

He was dying. Or at least he felt like it. Jaune wasn't sure how long he had been out, but he assumed it had been quite a while, if the hunger pains and itchy throat were anything to go by. He tried opening his eyes to look around, but all he felt was excruciating pain, pain much worse than burning alive had been. He decided to just sit there, darkness surrounding him as he waited for sleep to grasp him. Someone thought differently, however.

"Hey there kid, I know you can hear me. Been monitoring you for the past few days and it seems you just woke up. Congratulations on surviving, now the real hell starts."

 _That old man. The one that shouldn't exist._

The older man seemed to pause and Jaune heard a sound all too familiar to him. The swinging of a flask.

"Ah, much better. Ya know, when dealing with all the crappiness of the world, it's always good to have something to turn to. Family and friends are ideal but, in my case, alcohol is all I got. For you though…well that's something you should think about. While alcohol gives you a nice buzz and a chance to forget all this crap, it's nice to have something positive to affect you. Especially in our line of work."

 _Our line of work? What the hell is he talking about…?_

"Oh, don't be surprised, kid. Hanging out in abandoned ruins in a Grimm infested forest? Setting up an arena with training dummies scavenged from said ruins? It's obvious you're training to be a Huntsman. Oh, by the way, what made it seem like a good idea to go out into said Grimm infested woods with no training, no Aura, and no backup in case anything happened? Do your parents even know what you're doing? Or did you just run off like an idiot and think everything would be alright? Cause I think I know the answer to that one."

…

"Oh, wait you can't actually respond, can you? Uh, whoops guess I started my grilling too early eh? Oh well, I think that's enough from me for today. Get some rest kid, we'll continue this little chat when you can respond. Night."

His footsteps receded from the bedside, drawing further and further away until they paused by what he guessed was the doorway.

"Oh, and kid. Good thinking with the lighter, saved your ass from a more gruesome fate than being burned alive. Get some rest."

With that, the older man was gone. Jaune sighed, which sounded more like a croak, and decided now was a good time to get some sleep. Maybe this time there won't be any dreams.

 _Yeah right._

* * *

Jaune opened his eyes and looked around. He was back in his room. At The House.

Jaune looked around his room. There was no patchwork floor, his dresser was standing straight, and his desk looked brand new. The window above his bed held a brand-new curtain that just reeked of love.

Jaune sighed and got up. He opened his dresser and found a new pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt to throw on before opening his door. He was greeted by his family.

"Morning Jaune-y!" His youngest sister, Scarlet, called out from the dining room.

"Morning, Scar-Scar" Jaune replied in the same tone.

"Jauuunnnneeeee~ I hate it when you call me that! It's not cool!" She pouted, putting on the most adorable puppy eyes that ever-graced Remnant.

Jaune laughed, "All right Scarlet, I'll stop as long as you don't call me Jaune-y, deal?"

Scarlet continued pouting for a moment, but then suddenly smiled.

"Deal!" She said, looking at Jaune with a sparkle in her eyes.

Jaune looked around and found his _father,_ Jet Arc, sitting at the table, reading the newspaper, with a beer sitting next to him. His prosthetic arm glinted where the sun reflected off it from the window behind them. It almost looked impressive. Almost.

"Hey Dad, where's the rest of the troublemakers?" I greeted with a smile.

He looked up, grunted, and set down the paper. "Your Mother just took the six of them out shopping in town. They should be back right around lunch. They'll be hungry so make sure food is ready for 'em." That's all his _Father_ said and went back to his news.

Jaune frowned slightly at that and looked towards Scarlet questioningly. She looked at Jaune, shrugged, then went back to downing her cereal. He shrugged back and headed into the kitchen to prepare his own breakfast, hopefully something better than cereal.

* * *

The rest of the Arc household came back right on time, with a buffet waiting for them. The rest of the sisters, June, Aqua, Violet, Celeste, Opal, and Saffron, all beelined towards their favorite foods once all the groceries were put away. Lily Arc, the mother of the house, went towards Jet to discuss something, but Jaune didn't care. He was too busy trying to juggle the demands of his sisters, from passing the gravy for the mashed potatoes to Aqua, who was being as useless as always, to keeping Celeste from dumping her vegetable casserole onto her twin Opal's head when she made a comment about her hair. This continued until all the girls were in the kitchen, stuffing themselves to their heart's content.

Jaune sighed and walked towards the living room, where Lily and his father disappeared to. As he walked down the hallway towards the living room, the natural, warm light that enveloped the rest of the house, began to fade away. It was replaced by the artificial light bulbs from lamps and the ceiling lights that cast long shadows of himself and his surroundings down the long corridor. He heard his father shouting something up ahead, and quickened his pace. When he rounded the corner, pure rage appeared in his eyes. That _absolute bastard_ was shouting and hitting his mother with his metal arm, blood and bruises littering her body.

He ran towards his father, tackling him to the ground, surprising him from behind. That said, when his father hit the floor, he rolled and flung Jaune onto the floor in front of him and pinned him down.

"What the fuck you think you doing you little _bastard_!" Jet Arc screamed at him, the smell of alcohol on his breath almost choking him as he wailed on him instead.

Jaune took the blows as best as he could, with his chest taking most of the beating, pounded and pounded again by that outrageously strong metal arm. This continued until Jet aimed for his left arm and Jaune heard a _snap_ , causing him to scream. Tears formed in his eyes as he tried to stay conscious under the relentless beating of this man who would call himself his father. Focusing on his mother, who had managed to crawl away and sit up against the couch, her expression froze him. His mother, Lily Arc… was _smiling_. With the blood from a blow to the head washing down her face and onto her teeth, a broken tooth sticking out of her mouth; she looked insane, a part of her missing. Her smile passed, and she looked at Jaune, not with pity, but with something indiscernible in her eyes. Quietly, she slipped out the door while Jet Arc was distracted by beating _on her own son_. Once Jaune saw her leave without so much a glance in his direction, he gave up and let Jet hit him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Jaune woke with a start. He felt the sheets and mattress and realized he was back at that old man's house. His eyes stung from the memory and wiped away the tears threatening to leak from under his closed eyelids.

After taking several deep breaths to calm down, Jaune tried to open his eyes and, to his surprise, managed to do so. After the blinding light that filled his eyeballs departed, he looked around what was obviously a small guest room. The walls and floor were wooden, unlike the floors he knew. Sighing in relief, he noticed the small bedside table to his left had a vase placed on top, with a singular rose occupying it. To his right was a window that occupied most of the wall, letting in warm, caring sunlight.

After looking at the room he decided it was time for the inevitable and looked down. And what he saw surprised him. His skin wasn't horrifically burned and mutilated as one would imagine, instead it was almost completely healed. As the older man said, there were some light scars but nothing that would stand out when it came to Hunters.

As he was admiring himself, the door popped open with a click and a head popped through. It was full of black hair with red tips, short and choppy. As she looked in, he saw silver eyes that stared at him.

"Uh, Hello?" Jaune asked, slightly bewildered at the sight of this young girl.

"Eeep!" The girl squeaked, dashing back into the hallway with a flurry of rose petals, screaming,

"Uncle Qrow! He's awake! He's awake!"

 _Well, she is rather…strange. Though I guess I don't blame her since a stranger is in…wait she lives with that old guy? That's slightly creepy, I'll have to see if she's alright after this. And who the hell is this "Uncle Crow?" Could it be that old guy? Nah, that's-_

The door creaked open and the man from before entered.

"Sup kid. You look a lot better today. That voice box of yours working yet? Cause if it is, I've got a few questions that need answering."

Jaune took a moment to sound out some words, just to make sure his voice was completely fine, then responded.

"Before that, you mind telling me where I am? And who you are for that matter? The last thing I remember is sitting on the floor of the ruins with everything around me _on fire. Including myself_."

Qrow looked at him for a moment and laughed.

"Well, you sure have some spunk kid, I'll give you that. But fine, you're on Patch."

Qrow answered liked no elaboration was needed and Jaune just sat there and stared at him blankly.

"What, you don't know where Patch is? Kid, what the hell have you been doing in those woods?"

Jaune didn't respond and continued to stare.

"Fine, fine," Qrow conceded, "Patch is an island off the west coast of Vale that holds the kingdom's 'feeder' academy to Beacon, Signal Academy. Students who pass through Signal usually end up in Beacon if they desire to be a Huntsman, and if not, usually end up as rescue workers or public officials. Right now, though, you are in the Xiao-Long household with only myself and my niece currently home. The name's is Qrow Branwen, Hunter and Grimm-slayer extraordinaire. You're looking at the best damn uncle this side of Vale."

Jaune looked at him strangely for that last comment.

"Well, nice to meet you." _I guess._ "My name's Jaune." Jaune managed to squeeze out, once he realized that's all Qrow had to say about himself.

Qrow grunted in acknowledgement and turned his eyes to look at Jaune's injuries, or lack thereof. Jaune followed his eyes and turned to look at Qrow questioningly.

"Your injuries have mostly healed themselves it seems," Qrow stated very matter-of-factly, "question answerin' time."

"One more thing, how long was I out?"

"3 full days." Qrow said plainly.

Jaune looked up at him and laughed.

"You're joking right? Three days is not nearly enough time for all those burns to heal. I'm not a doctor but I'm not that stupid."

Qrow just stared at him, a stone-cold expression on his face. Not a hint of smile could be seen.

Jaune slowly realized that the older man was telling the truth.

 _How the_ hell _did my wounds heal so much in 3 days?! That can't be possible._

"How the hell did that happen?!"

"You never heard of an aura, kid?" Qrow deadpanned.

"Uhhhh, Is it a Huntsmen thing?" Jaune squeezed out with a half-smile.

Qrow sighed at Jaune's response but continued regardless.

"Right on the money. Aura is, in very basic terms, the manifestation of your soul. It protects you from physical harm and heals you steadily over time. It also allows you to use your Semblance, which is basically a superpower that is unique to you. Some people have super speed, others can dish out twice the damage they take in; You- well that remains to be seen. Enough on that though, we're getting side tracked. I've got a couple questions for you, if you don't mind. Considering I saved your life, I figured it was the least you could do for me."

 _Oh, this is going to be so much fun._

"So, first question. Why were you running away from home?"

Jaune winced at that.

 _Way to go, starting on the real heavy shit._

"My father, is the reason." I seethed.

Qrow gave me a look that said that wasn't enough.

Jaune sighed, "Look, I-I don't really want to talk about it. Let's just say my father is an utter asshole and be done with it, Ok?"

Qrow sighed to himself and took another swig from his flask, which I flinched at. He noticed, giving me a strange look.

"Alright, we'll put that question on hold then. Now, for question number two, why do you want to be a Huntsman?"

 _Well…this should be slightly easier, I think._

"I…want to protect people. And not just in a general 'because it's the right thing to do' kind of way, but for a more…specific reason."

Qrow raised an eyebrow when I didn't continue.

 _Shit…it looks like I'll have to give him something, I guess._

"Look, its related back to my father. Let's just say I don't have the most…stable of homes due to him. I want to protect people, so their families aren't affected by either their mistakes or just bad luck. I've been on the receiving end of fate kicking my family when we're down…and it hurts. I don't want that to happen to other people, so if I can protect them from the forces of evil, whether they be Grimm or just other asshole humans, then that's what I want to do."

Qrow looked at me for a long moment before nodding.

"That…is quite a noble goal you have there. Something selfless driving you to be better. I wish half the people that end up becoming Huntsman had your conviction. But alas, the world doesn't work the way we hope it does. Which is something I can tell you understand perfectly."

Well I did kind of make it obvious, but it should be enough for him to get a general idea and not have to ask about it specifically.

"Yes, yes I do."

* * *

Qrow

Qrow looked the boy up and down before sighing.

 _He's obviously bothered by me, even if he doesn't consciously realize it. The way his eyes flicker towards me whenever I shuffle around or the way his arms and legs both stiffen when I take a sip of my flask. Probably should stop doing that when he's around, I guess._

Qrow glanced at the boy before shouting towards the door,

"And don't think I didn't notice you eavesdropping pipsqueak!"

A sudden squeal sounded from the door as a Ruby came into view. She was wearing her combat uniform, a black, long-sleeved dress with a black corset with red laces, with her signature red cloak hooked over her shoulders. Which she was currently hiding from him in. Very poorly.

"H-hey there Uncle Qrow! I was just walking past and totally not eavesdropping your conversation about why he wanted to be a Hunter, No siree. And I totally wasn't admiring his-"

She cut herself off as she earned a stern glare from Qrow and a panicked expression came over Jaune's face as he realized he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"-his goals and convictions on wanting to become a Hunter! Haha-"

"Qrooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" A woman's cry came from downstairs. Qrow stiffened at the call.

"What have I told you about leaving the drinking cabinet open during the day? Especially when Ruby is off today!"

"Oh crap." Qrow froze, his face going white as Jaune's sheets.

 _Fuck, she might actually kill me today._

"Where are you anyways? You better not be upstairs bugging our patient again. I told you for the last time he doesn't need you nagging on him while he's recovering!" The woman's voice became slightly muffled, most likely heading into another room below.

"He's awake now," Qrow shouted down the hallway.

"What?!" came the woman's cry as a clanging noise could be heard from downstairs, sounding suspiciously like a cooking utensil being dropped. The sound of footsteps crashing on the wooden floor of the hallway came to the forefront as the room became silent.

Soon the door frame came to be filled by a woman. She looked…like a carbon copy of Ruby. Short black hair that faded to red, a solid white cloak, and a black combat skirt.

Qrow looked towards Jaune, who had seemed to be calming down now.

Clearing his throat, Qrow spoke up. "Jaune, meet one of my oldest friends and my dear teammate-

"Summer Rose."

* * *

 **Hey everyone, hoped you guys liked the first two chapters of Arc of the Phoenix, my first story.**

 **Sorry for the delay in releasing this chapter, I was still figuring out the direction I wanted the story to go and wanted to go over it with my new editor. You're the best Zach. Anyways, I'm planning on subsequent chapters to be released more regularly, sometime between Sunday and Monday. It all depends on when I have time to write and when my editor is free.**

 **Just to clarify something, in case the ending of this chapter didn't scream at you, this story will be slightly AU. As in, certain characters may act or do things differently than they do in the show, but I will try to keep the integral parts of their characters intact. In Jaune's case, he is more pessimistic and crude due to his upbringing, but he still wants to help people.**

 **There are also going to be OC's in this story, due to several factors that I can't say because _spoilers._ But, they won't be anything close to Main Characters _at all._ A few might have more influence on the world than some might feel comfortable about, if that sort of thing bothers you, but trust me when I say they all have minor roles in the story as a whole. At least for right now. If this changes when I'm planning out the rest, I'll let you guys know. **

**Well, that's enough rambling from me today. Next time, I'll try not to make the A/N as long as this one is.**

 **See you guys next time!**


	3. Thus Kindly I Scatter

**Summer**

Summer looked towards the boy laying down, his golden hair reflected the sunlight that filtered the room, blue eyes seemed to reflect the sky, with scars that covered his chest and arms that seemed to contrast with his gentle exterior. He reminded her of Taiyang, although more reserved and withdrawn, as if he just wanted to bury himself in his bed sheets. Which he might, due to the fact she was sort of staring at him while he was half-naked.

 _Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on him. I'm not having a repeat of Mr. "Entire-Team" with my daughters._

"Mommmmmm!" Ruby leaped towards her in a flurry of rose petals, and attempted murder by hug, not for the first time that day.

"Hey there my little rose, have you been 'taking care' of our patient?" Summer chuckled with a smirk streaked across her face as she laid a certain emphasis to her words.

Summer could actually _see_ the moment embarrassment took hold of her daughter, her face as red as her cloak.

"Mommmmmm!" Ruby repeated, although it appeared as a whine this time.

Summer noticed the boy's face drained of color as he kept making small glances towards Qrow, who was eyeing the boy threateningly. Summer's grin grew wider as she realized what Qrow must have said to the poor boy. It was the same treatment any male figure received once they entered the house that wasn't her husband or Qrow. Not that she disagreed since it kept the troublemakers away; especially from Yang. Summer's eye twitched as she thought of her other daughter, the one who seemed determined to cause as many headaches for her as possible. She sighed and decided to diffuse the situation before Qrow put the poor boy through more discomfort.

"Alright, alright. I was just pulling your leg, little rose." Summer teased as she turned to the boy. Shooting a glare at Qrow to knock it off; he took the hint.

"So, how _is_ our patient doing? I hope Qrow hasn't been too harsh on you. He gets like that when he drinks by himself." Summer asked as she glanced at Qrow briefly.

Qrow, to his credit, had to decency to look away and shrink into the corner when she mentioned him. She noticed the boy had winced slightly after finishing last sentence but recovered quickly, almost _too_ quickly, like he didn't want her to notice. She narrowed her eyes slightly, filing that information for later when she was asking the boy her questions.

The boy looked towards her and shrugged, "Well I certainly don't _feel_ like I lit myself on fire after being swatted around by an Ursa Major, if that's what you're asking. "

Summer quirked an eyebrow at his comment, "Well someone's full of spunk today." Summer's tone suddenly turned serious, "But if I need to call the doctor again, just let me know. Can't have you dying on us after Qrow went through all that trouble to unlock your Aura." She smirked at that last part.

A ghost of a smile appeared on the boy's face, "Thank you, but I feel fine now. Mostly just a few bruises and aches, along with the obvious," he gestured to his arms and chest that were riddled with scars, "but otherwise I appear to be fine. I appreciate your hospitality, especially since I'm a complete stranger to you all: you don't know how much it means to me."

Summer smiled, not a smirk, but a genuine warm smile as she looked at him. "No need to thank me dear, I'm a Huntress. I'll never turn down someone who needs help, especially from someone as young as you are. You remind me of my children too much in that regard." She chuckled, "But I _am_ impressed with your manners. So many children these days seem to forget them, or at least pretend to forget."

 _Yang…_

The boy looked up at her and shrugged, "I learned from the best. My Mom always told me to be a gentleman before she-"

The boy suddenly froze up, his eyes going wide before he shut his mouth with an audible _click_.

Summer narrowed her eyes as the boy fought to regain his composure, her protective mother instincts kicking in. She looked towards Qrow, who shook his head and shrugged. She narrowed her eyes as he raised an eyebrow. After a brief staring contest, _which I totally won_ , Qrow sighed and shook his head again. Summer frowned and turned to address the boy before realizing she never asked his name. She turned back towards Qrow with a sheepish smile on her face as he realized the same, with a palm covering his face, slowly sliding down. He mouthed the word _'Jaune'_ to her and she mouthed _'Thanks'_ a second later. She turned back to the boy- or rather, Jaune.

"So _Jaune_ , is it? Well what were you saying about your mother just now?" Summer said in her _this-is-not-a-discussion_ tone she was so famous for in Vale, her grin returning, although more icy now. To Jaune's credit, he somehow managed to recognize the tone in her voice in his attempt to keep himself composed, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

Jaune sighed, "It's not gonna be enough if I just said I don't want to talk about it, is it?"

When she shook her head, he looked down at himself for a moment, before looking up at Ruby, who was still in the room. Summer followed his gaze and when it landed on her daughter, she paused.

 _Maybe Ruby shouldn't hear about this yet, if the way he reacted to mentioning his own_ mother _is any indication._

Summer sighed, "Ruby, dear, do you mind stepping out of the room for a sec? I wanna hear what he has to say first before I decide if you should hear it. With both of your permissions of course."

Ruby was about to argue, but a look from Summer had that fire die before it really had a chance to ignite, and she slunk towards the door; closed with an audible slam.

Summer massaged the bridge of her nose and looked towards Jaune, who was eyeing Qrow warily. Summer raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked towards Qrow, who had his flask raised towards his lips, a tense expression appearing when he noticed the boy looking his way.

"Is there something going on here I should know about?" Summer asked, her voice rising slightly in annoyance.

 _What is with guys and their tendency to butt heads? I know that's rich considering who I married but this is ridiculous! They've known each other for three days and Jaune wasn't even conscious for most of that._

Qrow turned towards her and responded, "I dunno know why Sum, but the kid here seems to not trust me. I've seen the way he reacts to my presence; muscle tension, heavier breathing, eyes darting around the room looking for a way out. I'm not sure if I just remind him of his father in some way or-"

A hitched breath interrupted him as Summer whipped her head to look at the boy, he appeared to be doubled over and clutching his arms in agony. Summer rushed over to his side to check on him as she noticed he was shaking uncontrollably.

 _No bleeding from the scars and his arms don't appear to be the cause of his shaking. So it's not his injuries then. Phantom pain from the fire? Damn it, I knew I should have taken Rae's advice to take more medical courses after Beacon._

"Jaune, what's hurting? Is it your injuries? I can call the doctor and he will be here in five minutes. Just tell me what's happening." Summer's voice sounded out, motherly concern washing away any doubts about her intentions.

Jaune looked up and spat out, "Him. Get. Him. _Away_. I-I can't be around him right now with that _t-thing_ he's holding on to. It's too much l-like _him_."

Summer whipped her head around and barked, "Qrow. Leave. **NOW**."

Qrow, his eyes widened in shock, looked towards the flask in his hands as the sudden realization of what Jaune was scared of hit him. Summer narrowed her eyes and sucked in a breath, ready to berate her teammate for being so short-sighted, before she saw him bolt towards the door and leave the room. Once the distraction was gone, she turned back towards the boy and saw him eyeing the door as his breath started returning to normal. His arms, still covered in ghastly scars, began to calm from their restless state, while the muscles in his legs seemed to unwind from the fleeing position they were in before.

 _What the hell happened to him?_

"Are you ok now, Jaune? Would you like me to leave as well until you're ready or-"

"No!" Jaune almost yelled, but cut himself off, "I...just needed to get away from him." His breathing returned to the calm state it was in when she found him "I'm sorry, I...I just panicked when Qrow started drinking again. I was still thinking about my family after mentioning my mother...and-"

"Shhh" Summer cooed, "It's ok. It's my fault for not picking up on the clues that this isn't just some small squabble. It's fine if you don't want to talk about it now, just remember I'll keep my ears open for you."

"N-no." Summer was startled by his response. "I think I need to talk to someone about it. I...haven't talked to anyone outside a certain group of people in years. Not since…" Jaune swallowed and took a shaky breath, but continued nonetheless, "Not since my family...left me. With _Him._ "

Summer looked at the boy for a long moment, anger gradually appearing on her usual loving features. Not at the boy, though. He did nothing wrong. No, what angered her was the fact that his _family_ had the _audacity_ to leave their child behind. Before she could stew in her thoughts for longer though, Jaune continued.

Jaune shuddered but spoke on, "My...father was an abusive asshole. He was a Hunter in the past, a good man, or that's what the rest of the village tells me, but he came back from a mission one day...broken. He lost his whole team when a routine mission to clear a Nevermore nest turned deadly because a scout gave out the wrong intel. He...also lost both his left arm and leg when a Deathstalker ambushed them. From what little I remember, and from what my older sisters told me, he tried to maintain that same carefree, optimistic attitude that prevailed before but...it wasn't the same. He cried a lot. That I remember specifically. He cried about his limbs, his teammates, anything that reminded him of the past really. Then, one day, the crying stopped. I remember being happy that my father wasn't sad anymore, but what emerged from his room that day was no longer my father. He died with the rest of his team that fateful day."

Jaune paused to catch his breath, not realizing Summer was staring at him with horror on her face. She felt her limbs shaking and her own breath hitched slightly, not enough for Jaune to notice, but enough for herself to feel it. She shoved these feelings down after a moment.

 _This is too much of a coincidence. It's… No this can't be the same family. Ozpin told me specifically that everyone died on that mission. The amount of Grimm was too much for one team, I would have died if I had stayed. He told me staying was just throwing my life away, unless...no. I have absolutely no reason to doubt him. The man has never led me astray and he's saved me so many times. I..._ _ **need**_ _to trust him. But...I_ guess _it wouldn't hurt to ask the boy once he's done._

Jaune continued, "That day, my father started drinking. It started small at first, a beer here or there, a shot of whiskey before bed to calm his nerves, you know, the usual stuff. But he didn't stop. He just kept adding more and more before finally, he snapped. It wasn't even anything major; just left my toys out in the open. He found me in my room and…"

"He beat me."

Summer was silent, her face a mask of concern, but underneath, she felt guilt rising up to challenge the facade of calm she was putting on for the boy.

"I cried myself to sleep that night. I was too tired to care about my appearance. Tired of begging my father to stop. He just didn't care, I guess. He just kept hitting me, over and over again, no remorse or even emotion on his face. Thankfully, the beatings didn't happen every night, nor did he use his prosthetics. He might of killed me if he had. No, he only used his actual hand, and they only happened when I pissed him off, even if it was something stupid. The only comfort I had was in the fact he didn't seem to beat on my siblings or my mother. He only took his anger out on me. Dunno why, maybe I reminded him of himself when he was younger? It didn't matter though. When I was twelve, it appeared that my mother was done. She broke out into an argument with him about leaving and he started beating her. I found them and tackled him to the ground-"

Jaune stopped, his eyes seemed to lose focus for a minute, most likely lost in his memories. It took every inch of will power she had not to hug the boy right then, but she could tell he wasn't done. And when he was…

Jaune recovered after a second and continued, "He threw me onto my back and started wailing on me. I couldn't remember feeling so much pain before. Metal arms pack quite the punch when you don't have Aura after all." He chuckled, mirthlessly. "He continued punching me for a few minutes before he decided that the basement might be a better setting to doling out his punishment. He dragged me there, as I kicked and screamed, but my family never heard me. It seems my mother rushed my siblings to their rooms and told them to start packing. She told them that her and my father were splitting up, she would take the girls while he kept me. It was a lie, of course. A lie to get them away from him. Not that I blame them, or at least not my sisters. They had no idea what was happening to me and I never told them due to the fact we couldn't _do_ anything. He was a fully trained Hunter with Aura, a weapon, and most importantly; connections. If we tried to hide or run from him, he could put out a call that his children were missing, and anything we said would have been perceived as us just throwing a tantrum."

Jaune paused again, this time due to the liquid that appeared in his eyes, which he quickly removed, but something Summer saw all the same. She realized they were getting to the end and he was going to crash _hard_.

"My father had me in the basement for nearly an hour before he decided that returning to the surface was a good idea, but leaving me down there as my punishment. I knew something was wrong when I heard a roar filled with _absolute_ _rage_ and he returned quickly screaming at me trying to find out where _they_ went. I realized after he started hitting me; _**they left me**_ **.** They left me to fend for myself. My mother, _my own mother, left me-"_

Jaune lost it. Tears started streaming down his face as he wailed, his breaths coming in sharp gasps as he attempted to breath through his breakdown. Summer was on him in an instant, her arms reaching around his body to hold him in her embrace. He cried into the her warmth, her own tears starting to shed as she saw how broken this poor boy was. Summer's eyes burned with animalistic rage as she tried to imagine how he had survived such a ruthless childhood, yet still seemed so caring.

 _It's a miracle the boy survived until now on his own. Once this is over, I will make sure that bastard_ _ **never**_ _harms him or anyone else ever again. One way or another._

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Welcome back to Arc of the Phoenix, hopefully everyone enjoyed my interpretation of Summer Rose. I, hopefully, didn't drop the ball too hard since there's not much to work with in regards to her character. I tried to keep her in line with the "Super-mom" persona Yang knows her for, as well as a bit of the ruthlessness that being a Huntress calls for, if that last line I added is any indication. I'm not gonna lie, trying to write Summer was a pain in the ass, mostly because I couldn't decide on her personality for the longest time. Hopefully she doesn't feel too contradictory as I try and flesh her out in later chapters. Now speaking of interpretations and contradictions, Jaune Arc. Hopefully his little breakdown with Summer doesn't seem too OOC with what I've presented in his memories. Summer manages to catch him off guard in this conversation, and I may have a flashback in the coming chapters that might explain why.**

 **Please Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed! Next Chapter I'll be introducing the Xiao-Long Family!**

 **See ya next time!**


	4. Trust

**Jaune**

Jaune stared at the door Summer had just left through. He felt...off. It wasn't anything he could place, more like an instinct something wasn't right with himself. He thought about his conversation with Summer, how he had a complete meltdown in front of her. He told her _everything_.

 _Why? Why did I tell her so much? I've barely known her an hour and I told her about my deepest scars. Things I_ thought _I didn't want anyone to learn about. So, was I wrong about myself? I...I don't think so. I still feel an aversion to telling anyone...besides Summer apparently. Is there something special about her? She, sort of, reminds me of mother before she left, but I don't think mother was ever this...warm. This is weird. She seems like a good person, she sheltered me after all, but I don't think that's what the warmth is. I…I need to think about this. There has to be_ something _I'm missing._

* * *

 **Ruby**

 _WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo? AHHHHH the wait is killing me! First Uncle Qrow comes back down with a really scary look on his face and now he's just sitting there moping around like he does when he comes back from missions! Mom's still talking with Jaune so I don't want to interrupt but I NEED to know what's happening. A mysterious boy shows up injured with Uncle Qrow and… NOTHING!_ _Nothing for three days after he shows up and I still can't decide whether he's a super-secret spy working for some shady organization run by a coffee-addicted maniac that went haywire after Uncle Qrow found out about it or whether he-_

Suddenly, Summer walked down the stairs and into the living room she was currently sitting in.

"How is he? Is he ok? Can you tell me what's happening now? Who is he? Is he some secret spy? Or is he-?" Ruby was interrupted by a laugh from Summer.

"My little rose, he is fine." Summer's smile dipped slightly, "Although I did find out what happened to cause him to wander into the Emerald Forest. I can't go into the details but I can say his family is not like ours, my dear. They don't care for him as much as I do to you or vice versa."

Ruby pouted for a moment before saying, "Well that's stupid. Family should love each other no matter what!"

Summer looked at her, looked to Qrow and then laughed, sounding like an angel. "Ruby, please never change." She said, smiling in a way Ruby had never seen before. Before she could continue her questions, a loud knocking sound came from the front door.

"If anyone would be willing to help us, we _might_ have dinner for everyone!" Came a male's voice from the door.

"Dad!" Ruby shouted, not before almost tripping herself as she tried to stand up, activate her semblance and dodge her mom, who had moved to stand in front of her during their conversation. She nearly face planted with the door as she tried to stop herself from hitting it while attempting to open it.

 _Finally! I hope they brought back more strawberries! I'm nearly out but I have to wait until Mom is distracted before I sneak them off to my stash. Dad is the only one who can do that, but I wonder what they shout about so loudly in their room? They seem so happy when they come down though, so I won't complain._

She shoved these thoughts away as she opened the door to reveal her dad. Tall, well-built, and blue eyes that revealed so much love for her. His sandy-blond hair, while not nearly as bright as Yang's was, still shined in the daylight. Ruby was ready to tackle him to the ground but the box of strawberries in his hand stopped her completely. Her eyes widened and she nearly screamed in happiness before taking the strawberries and vanishing in a flurry of rose petals.

Her plan to wait for a distraction momentarily forgotten due to the vast amount of strawberries in her possession, she ran from the living room to the backdoor and all the way to the shed near the front of the house. Once inside, she looked at the loose floorboard and pried it open with a crowbar she had kept hidden nearby. Once the board was loose, she looked down at the hole she had dug out years ago, inside was a large cooler, usually filled with strawberries, but now almost empty. She squealed with joy and began offloading the strawberries from the box to the cooler, completely unaware of the presence behind her.

"So **THIS** is where all of my strawberries disappear to!" A woman's voice sounded from behind her. Ruby froze, her hand halfway between the cooler and the box, before turning her head slowly, fearing that voice. Inside the doorway of the shed was her Mom. She looked completely different than her normal, caring self. She had a grin on her face that screamed ' _Danger!'_ and her eyes seemed to glow with a fire that Ruby hadn't seen before. She swallowed loudly before turning around to fully face the angry Rose behind her.

"H-hey there Mom, uh, fancy seeing you around here. Uh, want a strawberry?" Ruby smiled weakly noticing her mother's grin growing more and more.

"Why, my little rose, I would absolutely _love_ a strawberry right now. In fact, why don't I take a few, just to be safe?" Summer asked, her question not being an actual question.

"Uh, s-sure thing Mom! Just let me take a few real quick-" Ruby moved swiftly, grabbing as many strawberries in her hands as possible before attempting to dart around the presence in the doorway with her semblance. Summer merely took a step to the right, allowing Ruby to smash face-first into her dress, spilling all of her strawberries in the process.

"Now, now, Ruby." Ruby froze up when her name was called, her mother only did that when she was either complimenting her or when she was in trouble.

 _And I'm preeeettttttyyyy suuuurreee it's door number two if the way she's glaring between me and the spilled nectar on the ground is any help._

"Why don't we go back into the house and have a _little chat_ about how you've been holding out on me? Summer's grin gained even more ferocity, if such a thing was possible at this point, before latching onto Ruby's hand with an iron grip.

" **NOOOOOO!"** Ruby squealed before being led back into the prison once known as her house.

* * *

 **Summer**

 _Gosh, Ruby can be so dramatic at times. I wasn't gonna hurt her, just make sure she understands that all the strawberries in this house are_ mine _and I just deign to let her mortal form consume a paltry amount because it amuses me._

Summer smiled wickedly for a second before going back to the task at hand.

"Now, now, Qrow. What do you have to say for yourself?" Summer smugly asked from her position on top of Qrow's back, with Taiyang resting next to her, an equally smug look plastering his own face.

 _Hmpf, this fool thought he could escape from my clutches when I was distracted with Ruby. He knows better than that, Taiyang can read my intentions like a book. The poor fool never stood a chance against the Great Xiao-Rose Duo that was the terror of Beacon for years! Or was it Rose-Xiao?_

Summer's musings were cut short by a groan from beneath them as both Ruby and Yang stared at what was happening with wide eyes and equally wide grins.

"Sooo," Yang started, "Should Ruby and I leave or are you gonna get a room?" Yang wiggled her eyebrows at her poor excuse of a joke. Ruby, ever the innocent optimist, looked at her sister confused, while both Qrow and Tai let out shouts of protest. Summer smiled, an evil grin on her face.

"Why, my little dragon, don't you worry about us. Why don't you _check on_ our patient upstairs since you seem to be in the mood for some fun?" Summer teased.

Yang, to her credit, looked embarrassed by her mother's insinuation, while Ruby continued to not get it.

 _Ha, Yang knows better than to try and one up me with innuendos. She's way too early to try and dethrone this Queen. Though I guess this_ is _a rare opportunity, since I make it a habit not be in compromising positions when Qrow's around. Damn his semblance._

Taiyang looked at me confused before asking, "Wait the boy's awake?"

Yang's eyes lit up in excitement as she tried not to stare at her parents, waiting for confirmation from Summer. She failed.

"Yes, he awoke around an hour ago, right before I got back. Apparently, Ruby saw him first and then Qrow went in to check on him. Or possibly traumatize the poor boy. I couldn't tell you which since he _won't talk to me_." Summer emphasized those last points with a smack to Qrow's back via her fist. "Also his name is Jaune."

Qrow groaned again and tapped his hand three times on the carpet, signaling his defeat. Both Summer and Taiyang moved off of him and sat on the couch as Qrow stood up warily.

"Thank you for that. It's always so wonderful to be reminded how old I am when my bones ache from being tackled." Qrow grumbled, but with the smile on his face. The smile died as quickly when he reached for his flask to find it wasn't there. Summer reached into one of her pockets and retrieved his flask with a twirl of her hand.

"Don't worry old man, you're pacifier is right here." Summer teased, but her smile wasn't as wide as usual. Tai snorted while both Ruby and Yang flew into uncontrollable laughter.

"Haha, very funny Sum. Now give it back." Qrow growled out.

"Ah ah ah. Not so fast mister. You tell us what happened before I got there and then we'll talk." Summer said, her eyes glowing with victory.

"Fine. I was resting on the couch watching the TV when Ruby came running down the stairs, shouting that the kid was awake. I went up to check on him and he acted… strange around me. I would guess he's easily spooked but he didn't act weird around Sum or Rubes. He was twitchy and nervous. Kid looked ready to bolt for it if I made any sudden moves." Qrow moved his bangs back over his forehead, a nervous tick that had developed at Beacon, before continuing, "He also didn't know a thing about Aura or even about Patch. Had to explain all that to him before he started calming down a little. He seemed to get a little more comfortable around me… and then I asked him about why he ran. He immediately clammed up, gave me only a few basic details but I could tell the bigger picture with the way he acted around me."

Qrow paused for a moment to look at Summer, as if getting her permission to continue. Summer looked at Yang and Ruby, motioning them to come sit down. Yang took the end of the couch with Tai while Ruby sat in her lap. She looked at Qrow and nodded.

Qrow sighed and continued, "From the looks of it, his father was abusive towards him. Probably an alcoholic if the way he looked at my flask was any indication. I also asked about why he wanted to be a Huntsman, and I know you already heard this part Rubes, but I'll say it again anyway, he said to protect people so families don't become broken." Qrow paused after that, letting that revelation and the untold implication sink in.

' _Like mine'_

Summer held Ruby tightly as the girl squeezed her hand, realizing the implications of what was said to her earlier and now this new information. Summer looked over and saw Yang with a disturbed look on her face with Tai whispering in her ear, no doubt something comforting.

 _He was always the best at comforting people. I'll introduce him to Jaune tomorrow to see if we can start breaking his shell of distrust he seems to have formed. Teach him that not all adults are bad people._

Summer's face contorted slightly at the thought. She sighed as she remembered what had happened after she left his room earlier that day.

 _Trust…_

* * *

Summer closed the door to the guest room and started down the hall. She moved slowly, lost in thought about the traumatized boy resting in her home.

 _That went a lot better than I thought it would. It was…strange actually. Someone who has gone through all that should be reclusive, distrusting of others and have an aversion to touch. He didn't seem like that, which was odd. Although, he seemed more closed off around Qrow, but that's understandable since Qrow's… tendencies seem to trigger memories of his father. Oh, and I can't wait to "talk" with that idiot. First, drinking haphazardly around my daughters and now causing an injured boy to go into relapse after a traumatic experience. He is soooo dead when I get my hands on him. Tai should be able to hold him down for me now that I think about it. Hmm, I'll wait for them to get back before I make my move, since you never know what will happen with Qrow's-_

Summer stopped in her tracks.

 _Semblance…_

Summer's eyes widened in horror and fumbled for her Scroll, her hands shaking.

 _No, no, no please Gods no. Not again, please not again._

She looked at it and seemed to crumple to the floor, her knees weakened by the shock, with a thud. She started shaking and sobbing silently as she clutched her Scroll in a death grip, cracking it in the process.

 _Gods, no. It happened again. Why, why was I cursed with this? Jaune… I've breached his trust and he's...he's going to hate me. Like all the others will when they find out._

Summer moved towards the wall to lean against it, trying to calm herself down.

 _I have to calm down. Tai will be home soon and he'll take one look at me and know something's up. I... I can't tell them yet. I need to prepare myself and… Jaune needs to know too. He deserves to know. I'll… tell them after Jaune recovers fully. Yes, that should work. Now, think about Ruby and Yang, think about the people you help everyday, think about… Her. Calm. Down._

Summer stopped sobbing and clutched the pendant under her dress, slowly breathing in and out. In her hands, her Scroll displayed her Aura meter, showing it at 90%...

* * *

 **Hey everyone, welcome back to another chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed it as always. This chapter I tired to show some of the dynamic Summer and the rest of the family might have, as well as to show where Yang's sense of humor comes from. _(Hint: it's not_ _Tai_ )I promise next week there will be more Jaune perspective as well as introducing him to the Xiao-Longs.**

 **Other than that, I have a couple questions for everyone. The first one is something to do with formatting. Would you guys rather have a singular perspective for one chapter, like the last chapter, or have multiple perspectives like I did with this one. The other question is about the rating. Now, I'm not familiar with how FF enforces the ratings, if they do at all with some of the fics I've seen, but I'm starting to wonder whether I jumped the gun labeling this as a 'T' fic when I have some themes displayed that are more on the 'Mature' side. This isn't something terribly important but it's been bugging me for a while now. Also, if I do switch to 'M', there shouldn't be a massive shift in the tone. It's more of just being on the safe side.**

 **Anyways, I wanted to thank everyone for all the support. Over 80 favorites and close to 120 followers is _insane._ I never imagined my work would get this much attention when it started out as just an idea I had late Christmas night. I also appreciate all the reviews and support from everyone. **

**Oh and I might have a surprise coming in the next couple days, depending on whether I can get all my ideas on paper.**

 **Please Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

 **See ya next time!**


	5. Family

He blinked open his eyes. Sunlight filtered into the clearing with tall emerald trees casting long shadows across the forest floor. He looked from his position beneath one of the staggering oaks and spotted his mother chasing one of his younger sisters, most likely Scarlet - a flower in her braided hair being a clear indication - back and forth across the clearing. He rubbed his eyes, trying to dislodge the sleep that had taken up residence near his eyes during his nap. Once the unwelcome tenants were removed, he blinked and spotted his mother catching Scarlet and hoisting the young girl onto her back. The young Scarlet was laughing as her mother spun around in a circle, carefully dodging the large branches and logs that dotted the clearing. The two turned towards him, smiling as they saw he had awoken. They began their approach, hushed whispers and the occasional giggle the only thing to punctuate the calm, afternoon air.

His mother's face was lit up in the sunlight poking through the branches as she began to speak,

"Hey there sleepy-head. Your Dad took the others back already to feed them. Didn't want to wake you since you were sleeping so peacefully. So myself and this little troublemaker," Scarlet giggled at that, "decided a game of tag was in order while we waited for you to finish your beauty sleep."

Scarlet giggled, "Hey, be fair Mom! Jaune's gonna need a lot more sleep than that to catch up to me~!"

Mom snorted and started laughing while Jaune rolled his eyes, but smiling all the same. Jaune paused for a moment before asking, "Hey Mom. I've been thinking…"

She smirked, "A dangerous pastime."

Jaune glared at her before continuing, "Seriously, though. I… I don't think the others like me as much as they like you. They've been avoiding me or finding excuses to do other things when I need their help with something. The only one that _wants_ to hang out with me is Scarlet. A-And I'm not sure why. Did I do something to make them angry? Was it something I said?"

Mom was silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath. She set Scarlet down from her back and moved to sit next to him.

"Listen, Jaune. Your sisters _do_ love you. They love you as much as myself or your father or Scarlet over there. You are a part of this family and we _all_ love each other. I'm not sure _why_ they are avoiding you, but trust me when I say this, I _**will**_ talk to them about their behavior. It is _**unacceptable**_ for them to ignore you like you say they are. Just trust me, ok?" Mom smiled at him, her eyes conveying the overwhelming love she felt.

Jaune looked up at his Mom and smiled, with the light from the trees covering his face in a heavenly glow

"Ok!"

* * *

Taiyang loomed in front of the door where their guest was staying, an assortment of breakfast goodies on a tray in his hands. He looked back down towards the end of the hallway where he knew his beautiful wife was lazing about in her bed. Summer hated sleeping in, but with Jaune waking up along with himself and Yang returning from their "father-daughter-bonding-time" in Vale, Tai knew she needed the extra rest.

He noticed it was half-past ten when he glanced at the clock perched upon the wall. Tai sighed and steeled himself.

 _Remember not to take it personally. Based on what Qrow and Summer could guess, the kid's been through some horrible stuff. The fact that he can function_ at all _is a miracle itself. All right, no more stalling._

Tai took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Hey there Jaune, I brought some breakfast since I figured it's been a while since you've eaten. Mind if I come in?"

A pause, before a muffled "Come in." could be heard. Tai pushed open the door to reveal Jaune sitting upright in his bed, leaning against the backboard. The light coming in from the window reflected by his hair and gave him an almost angelic feeling. If it wasn't for the hollow, almost dead, look that settled in the boy's eyes. Tai nearly dropped his try in surprise when he saw that.

 _What the hell?_

"Hey there Jaune. I haven't had a chance to introduce myself since you've woken up, but my name is Taiyang Xiao-Long, Summer's husband and the father of both Ruby and Yang. Pleasure to meet our resident patient at last." Tai put on a small smile as he waited for the boy to respond.

Silence.

Jaune just kept staring at Tai, who started becoming increasingly uncomfortable under the boy's hollow gaze.

"Uh, are you alright kid? If I came at a bad time I'll just-" Tai started but was cut off before he could finish.

"No, I...I had a rough night. You can set the tray on the table. I'll eat in a little bit." Jaune spoke with a raspy voice, his eyes never leaving Taiyang.

Tai set down the tray and looked towards Jaune.

 _Well I should at least try._

Taiyang sighed, "Alright, listen Jaune. I'm going to be honest with you, you kinda look terrible. Now, I can't claim to be a specialist when it comes to this stuff, but if you need someone to talk to about whatever happened, I'll be all ears. I just want to help." Tai put on the most genuine and comforting smile he could muster.

When Tai saw the hollowness in Jaune's eyes being replaced with suspicion and unease, he knew he messed up.

"Hey, it was just a suggestion. Take your time and either myself or Sum will be back later to get your tray."

As he approached the door, he looked back at the boy to see him in the same position as before. Never once taking his eyes off of Tai. It took every fiber in his being not to run down the hall.

* * *

Taiyang sat at the kitchen table with a warm coffee in his hands.

 _Seriously, what is wrong with me? Running away from the kid just because he was staring, even though Sum asked me to try and connect with the boy. Regardless of the fact his eyes look_ exactly _like hers when we first met._

Taiyang sighed as he heard the heavy footfalls that belonged to only one person in the house.

"Hey firecracker, how's your mornin' been?"

 _Hopefully better than mine._

Yang smirked as she waltzed over to the fridge to grab the leftovers he had made earlier.

"Exciting. Met up with a few friends from school and jogged around the island before sparring for a little bit. Tried practicing with my semblance some more and knocked one of those poor idiots through a couple trees." Yang smirk suddenly grew to stretch her entire face.

 _Here it comes._

"You could even say that I sent him off with a Ya-" Yang was suddenly cut off when a jar was shoved into her face. Tai had moved with incredible speed to cross the distance from the kitchen table to the kitchen proper, with a jar seemingly appearing out of thin air.

Yang stared at the jar with a puzzled expression.

"And what is that, exactly?"

"Pun jar." Tai had a blank expression on his face as he finished saying it.

Silence.

"This is a joke, right?" Yang asked, an incredulous tone with her voice.

More silence.

"Why-"

"Lien. In. Jar. Now." Tai kept the same stoic expression on his face throughout the whole encounter. Yang on the other hand-

"What the f-"

The jar was shoved further into her face before she could finish.

"Oh, did I mention it also doubles as a swear jar?"

Deafening silence.

Tai couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing as Yang had the most flabbergast expression on her face. It slowly morphed into one of shock and then resignation.

"Ha. Ha. Laugh it up Dad. I'll just wait until you're done."

Yang didn't have to wait long before Taiyang brought himself back down to Remnant.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I just couldn't resist. You've been making these horrible puns for weeks now and I thought I'd get you back for my suffering." Tai smiled as he went to sit back down.

Yang, to her credit, only rolled her eyes once before going back to preparing her own breakfast. A stack of pancakes along with a good heaping of bacon was added to her plate as she moved to sit down.

"So, how's the patient doing?" Yang said as she moved to sit at the table across from Taiyang.

Taiyang's mood immediately plummeted at the mention of Jaune. He sighed before looking up at his firecracker, who wore a look of concern after seeing his reaction to the mention of Jaune.

"I went to visit him this morning to give him some food since he hasn't eaten much since he got here. I went in and I saw this...haunted look in his eyes. They went away once I told him he could talk to me about whatever happened. He... just glared at me. I saw the suspicion and unease in his eyes...they reminded me so much of your-" Tai suddenly cut himself off when he realized what he was about to say. "Regardless, I don't think I can do much for him right now, since he doesn't _want_ to be helped."

Tai slumped down into his chair and nursed the coffee in his hands before taking a sip. Yang was silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"Bullshit."

Taiyang nearly choked on his coffee.

"What?"

Yang's eyes had turned from their normal lilac color to her signature 'I'm pissed off now' red. Her golden hair that went down nearly to her knees started to glow as her semblance unconsciously activated.

"You heard me Dad. It's bullshit that he doesn't want help. What, does he think that just because he went through some shit means he can mope around that room all day being angsty?"

 _Uh Oh. She's_ really _pissed now. Better make sure she doesn't do something stupid._

"In fact, I'm going up there right now to go 'talk' some sense into his stupid ass."

 _Like that._

"Yang, hold on." She paused. "I don't mind if you're going to try and reach out to him, but if you try and do it in your current state, I _will_ stop you. He doesn't need a beating from you, he received enough of those already." Yang winced at that "No, he needs love and support. But, even if we were to try and reach out to him, he doesn't trust us. Not that I blame him for that, but _we_ are the ones that need to take the first step. Now sit and calm down."

Yang complied. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, attempting to calm herself. After a few minutes, the red and the glow faded from her figure. Tai breathed a sigh of relief for that.

 _Thank the Gods. I don't need her either beating up the poor kid or her getting pissy at me 'cause I stopped her._

"Now, are you going to try and do this the right way? Because, honestly, it might actually work if you do it." Yang perked up at that. "He seems to hold major distrust to those in positions of authority, like myself or Qrow. He seems to get along fine with Sum, but she seems to be avoiding him now for some reason. You, on the other hand, are just a kid. No offense." Tai smirked while Yang growled her displeasure at the comment.

"But, that makes you the perfect person to try and reach out to him. I know you want to help him as much as I, but we can't rush this. So, go up and there and see what's wrong. But, don't be aggressive and push him, it won't end well."

* * *

Yang moved towards the guestroom where their resident patient resided. She knocked on his door to let him know she was entering, and opened the door.

Jaune was staring out of the window into the section of the yard she was sparing in earlier. He looked towards her and Yang's breath hitched slightly.

 _I know that look...Damn it. This is going to be harder than I thought._

In contrast with her thoughts, Yang put on a wide smile and spoke with a suave style.

"Hey there, Lady Killer. The name's Yang. I'm sure someone mentioned me before, so I'll keep this short. I'm Ruby's sis and your new counselor."

Jaune just looked at her in shock, his mouth gaping open and his eyes wide. Yang smirked, winked, and walked forward, grabbing one of the wooden stools near the door before placing next to his bed.

 _Well, at least that look of his isn't permanent. A big enough shock seems to get rid of it. Now, for the hard part…_

"So, Jaune was it? What's got you in this little funk of yours?" Yang started.

"...Lady Killer?" Jaune mumbled.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Lady Killer. So far, it seems the only ones you've had a positive impact with in this house is either my sis or Mom, and soon, me. So, Lady Killer it is. Until I find an equally embarrassing or inappropriate nickname to replace it with, of course." Yang winked at him and Jaune groaned.

 _Well he isn't yelling at me to leave or refusing to talk at least._

"So, back on topic. What's on your mind? 'Cause something _must_ be if you can ignore my Dad's cooking. He may not look it, but the man can whip up _anything_ you throw at him and make it taste good. Lasagna? Done and better than most high-class restaurants in Vale. Meatloaf? He may look at you like you're insane but can make it taste better than any other meatloaf on Remnant. Cookies with chocolate and strawberries? He'll shrug and just say Moms are better, yet still makes something that rivals people with decades more experience. And trust me on that last part, we're _still_ blacklisted from those bakeries and it's been _years._ " Yang smiled as Jaune started chuckling at that last bit.

 _Wow, maybe we can actually get somewhere._

Jaune's laughter died out after a second, his gaze that had started to _just_ lighten up, fell back into the lifeless one he was sporting when Yang walked in.

 _Damn my mouth. Or head, I guess._

Yang sighed, "Seriously, dude? I know some of my jokes are bad, and everyone seems to hate my puns, but that one was actually good. What's wrong?"

Jaune looked away from Yang, back towards the window he was staring at earlier.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

Yang just snorted, "No shit. I thought you were avoiding the topic cause you like making small talk." Jaune glared at her but Yang just shrugged. "Hey, you're the one that doesn't want to play ball. I just want to help."

Jaune's glare turned malicious as he snarled back, "Oh, you just want to help, too? You want me to talk? Fine. Just tell me one thing first. Why is your whole family hell-bent on finding out my life story and trying to "help" me? You have absolutely no reason to. I don't know any of you, not really anyways. Qrow is an alcoholic that shouldn't exist, your Dad doesn't know how to talk to me without running at the slightest provocation and Summer-"

A loud _crunch_ noise could be heard as Yang's hands gripped her chair so hard it _cracked_. Her eyes turned red and her hair started glowing. She snarled back at him, "Don't you _**dare**_ finish that sentence if you want to leave this place in one piece. Summer is the best Mom anyone could ever have and the most sincere person I know. She is sweet, kind and only has people's best interests at heart. Don't you _**dare**_ slander her in my presence or I will _**end you.**_ "

Jaune continued to glare at Yang, the two having a staring match that raised the tension in the room to a fever pitch. He finally looked back towards his seemingly favorite spot in the house after a few tense seconds. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry Yang, my temper got the better of me. I...just have issues trusting others. That combined with last night...I just snapped. I'm sorry, again."

Yang sighed as well, the inferno of her rage dying the instant his apology was finished. "It's fine Jaune. I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have pushed you into something you weren't comfortable with. Though I won't apologize for defending my Mom. That was your one warning, by the way. If you do it again, it won't end well." Her eyes flashed red for a brief second as she locked eyes with Jaune.

Jaune chuckled, "It's fine, I was out of line anyways. I can tell she is a kind person, it's...just hard to accept is all. That there are people that want to help me outside of a selfish goal."

Yang smiled, "Well, I say we should start over, eh? My name is Yang, nice to meet you." She raised her hand into a handshake.

Jaune looked at her hand before smiling weakly, "My name is Jaune. Nice to meet you, Yang." He took her hand, Yang being careful to tone down her grip strength, and they shook. After a second, he released her hand and put his own by his side.

"So," Jaune started, "I...figured I owe you at least _some_ explanation for my mood. I...I had a dream last night about my family. It wasn't a nightmare, I stopped getting those years ago. No, it was more of a memory than anything, one of the few good ones that kept me going during the worst of things. Playing with my mother and my younger sister, Scarlet. Before everything went to hell." Jaune sighed and scratched his arm near the elbow without looking down. As if he did it unconsciously.

 _That...looks like a nervous tick. Like when Rubes twirls the ends of her hair, I guess._

"Thank you, Jaune. I...also have something to admit, I guess. I've seen the look that was in your eyes before. From someone in the family. That's kind of why I was pushing you, to see if I was right - and I was." Jaune's eyes widened at that and before he could speak, Yang continued. "You see, Summer was a Huntress. 'Was' being the keyword here. She went on a mission when I was seven...and didn't come back. We lost contact with her and everyone thought she died...not us though. We all believed that Mom would come back any day." Yang's body shook briefly as her breathing shuddered.

"That is, until they found her cloak. In pieces. Clinging to the back of one of those Goliaths through a tear in it's armor. The stupid elephant nearly caused us to fall apart. You see, she never goes anywhere without it and she would fight tooth and nail to get it back if she lost it. So, to see it on the back of that Grimm…" Yang suddenly stopped talking. Jaune was just sitting there, eyes wide and jaw slack, much like when Yang entered.

"Dad, well, he broke down. He refused to eat unless either Qrow or I forced him to. I took over parenting Ruby for a while during Dad's breakdown. That's where I saw the look in your eyes from. From Dad. Summer's disappearance broke him and I guess he was reliving the memories from when they were together…" Yang stopped talking again and a stifling silence filled the room.

Jaune finally spoke, "But...she's still alive... she was here talking to me yesterday. What happened?"

Yang smiled, though it was still marred by melancholy.

"Uncle Qrow found her. He won't say how, or where, but he found her. Her scroll had broken and she had to survive in the Wilds for months, trying to trek back to civilization. She still refuses to talk about what happened exactly. But, honestly, I don't care. I'm just grateful she's here, with us." Her smile turned brighter as she faced Jaune. "And, now, for you as well."

Yang sat up from her chair and moved it back towards the wall before facing Juane again, who still looked shocked from her revelations.

"I don't want you to trust them immediately, that wouldn't be fair to you and what you've been through. Just...give them a chance. You'll find that they are genuinely caring and understanding, even if they don't fully understand what you've been through. Hell, even I don't and we've been talking for the last thirty minutes." She smirked at him. "And I don't expect to. Not yet, anyways. Be warned though, I only have so much patience before I start demanding answers Lady Killer."

She walked towards the door and opened it. She turned back around, her wild, golden, mane of hair swinging around her.

"See you around, Jaune." Yang gave one last flirtatious wink before leaving the room and shutting the door with a _click_ behind her.

* * *

Jaune was still staring at the door after she left. He finally blinked and turned to face the window, where he could see Summer and Qrow still sparring. Yang had never bother to check exactly what he was looking at outside the window. Jaune closed his eyes and breathed slowly in and then out before looking down at his legs and smirked.

 _A chance, huh?_

* * *

 **Hey guys, I'm back! Promise I'm not dead or anything. Sorry about the wait, school was starting back up again and I wasn't feeling motivated to write until recently. As an apology, I made this chapter slightly longer than I usually do and I plan on releasing a** _ **second** _**chapter Wednesday as long as nothing weird happens *crosses fingers***

 **So this chapter was kind of weird for me to write. I really wanted to do Taiyang's perspective, but I realized halfway in, I don't** _ **like** _**writing from his perspective. It was my main struggle with this chapter and I apologize if the quality isn't like the rest of my writing. Hopefully, Yang's perspective and little** _ **talk** _**with Jaune makes up for it. Plus, some Summer backstory to try and help justify Yang's motivation for helping him, beyond, ya know, just being a good person. Anyways, I hope the little dream sequence at the beginning was enjoyable. I will be doing those occasionally from now on. Probably going to have one next chapter, although it's tone might be** _ **slightly** _**different than this one :P**

 **Anyways, that's enough rambling from me tonight.**

 **Please Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

 **See ya next time!**


	6. Love

The fist flew towards her with alarming speed.

The air rushed past her cheek as her head flinched out of the way. She dropped low, under her assailant's guard, to jab his ribs before he could recover.

The man's breathing hitched, but he flung out a, frankly, pathetic excuse for a kick that left him leaning awkwardly.

Giddiness filled her, and a chuckle surfaced when she grabbed his leg and in one fluid motion, slammed him into the ground.

He grunted in defeat as she stood over him, a triumphant figure that cast a shadow over his limp form.

"Gods, you're bad at this old man." Summer chuckled as she reached a hand down for him to grasp.

The old man grunted in disbelief, "No, Sum. You're just _impossible_ to keep up with. Plus, ya know, having one of the best fist-fighters ever to graduate Beacon as your husband kind of helps." He deadpanned before grasping her hand and raising his beaten-ass.

"Qrow, you're just jealous I stole your man out from under you." Summer said, her smirk growing to shit-eating proportions.

"Fuck you."

"Sorry, old man - already taken." Summer turned and started walking back towards the house, sashaying her hips as she went. "But, if you ask nicely, maybe Tai-"

"Summer, don't. That's an image I don't want anywhere _near_ my head. Plus, I don't think you want another reason for me to drink, eh?"

Summer pouted as Qrow finished whining.

 _He's such a stick in the mud. At least Yang tries to fight back with her own, admittedly_ _pretty bad, innuendos and puns. There's no spark in him. He needs something good in his life, like-_

Summer suddenly stopped in her tracks, a wicked grin sprouting across her features.

 _Oh, this is a_ wonderful _idea! I need to get Tai and Yang in on this so we can get possible candidates. Glynda? Nah, she would exacerbate his behavior. Hmm, maybe someone outside Vale? I heard Atlas is beautiful this time of year- Wait a second. Doesn't he have some sort of...thing...with the Schnee girl? Hmm, she's a tad on the younger side, but I'm sure we can make it work. Oh, he's talking again, hopefully not whining about something this time — such an old grouch.  
_

"-and the last time we fought-"

 _Aaaand, nope. Still whining. Ugh, what did I do to deserve this punishment? Oh, wait...nevermind._

Summer huffed while Qrow kept complaining as they neared her humble abode. Or, maybe not so humbled if the pictures on her scroll were anything to go by. Slowly, she started to tune back into the rant as their footsteps echoed on the wood patio.

"-the last time you used that move, I was bedridden for a week!"

Feet shuffling across the stained wood was all that could be heard.

Qrow drew in a deep breath and sighed. "You weren't listening at all; were you?"

"Nope. Not a word. I just assumed you were complaining about how much better I am than you. Although, I did hear you mention something about lazing around in bed for a week?" Summer smirked as the door to her wooden cabin creaked open.

"I...give up. I don't know why I bother…"

"That's the spirit! Now, why don't we go get some coffee and discuss how to beat Tai's lessons into that thick skull of yours!"

"...Whatever you say, Sum."

* * *

 _I need a drink._

Summer, to her credit, wasn't _trying_ to make hand-to-hand combat sound like one of professor Port's stories on how he had slain Grimm during his youth. Yet, here Qrow was, still being bored to death. Thankfully, for what little of Qrow's sanity remained, distraction designation: 'firecracker' just appeared from around the corner. And Qrow thought miracles were for chumps.

Rudely cutting off Summer in the middle of her lecture on how to 'grapple' an enemy correctly, which had _far_ too many references and innuendos than was appropriate, he called out to Yang.

"Hey there firecracker," An angry squak could be heard from his torturer, whom he promptly ignored. "How's your day been so far? Saw some of your little sparring match from earlier. Is there any particular reason you decided the forest needed fewer trees or was that some of your "spontaneous decision making" I've heard so much about from Tai?"

She smiled sheepishly, "Uhhh, I was just practicing my semblance and...I kinda lost control. Sorry about that." Her feet shuffled across the carpet as she swiped a hand through her hair. Repeatedly. In the same spot.

Qrow's world ground to a halt. Yang, _**Yang**_ **,** of all people, just apologized and was being bashful. _Bashful!_ He looked over at Summer, who had the same shocked stupid look on her face as he did.

The big hand of the clock ticking filled the air.

"Uh...guys? What's up? Something on my face?"

They just stared at Yang, whose smile slowly started to fade, her eyes narrowed slightly.

The _tick-tock_ of the clock continued.

"Mom, what's-"

"Who is it?" Summer cut off Yang before she could finish.

"I'm sorry?" Yang looked completely lost.

"Is it Jack? Or maybe that Tommy kid from your class last year? Or-"

"Either way," Qrow cut off Summer before she could finish her ramblings, "the kid's gonna have a talking to with Tai and me."

 _Hmm, would bringing Harbinger be overkill? Nah, Yang only knows Signal kids, they shouldn't be too intimidated by a long-sword…_

 _...maybe the scythe form would be better._

"...What?"

Summer and Qrow both looked at each other, sighed, and said in unison,

"The boy you like."

Yang just stared at them, her mouth hanging open like a...nevermind not going to finish that one. Summer would kill him before sicking Tai on him to clean up the scraps.

" **What?!** "

* * *

Summer glanced at Qrow from the corner of her eye.

 _Don't think just because Yang has found a new punching bag for us means you get off scot-free.  
_

Her attention turned back to the tomato that now represented her daughter.

 _Stuttering, check. Denial about feelings, check. Blush - she looks like something that belongs in my kitchen - check. Alright, she definitely likes someone, now, the only obstacle - finding the soon-to-be corpse. I wonder how Oz would feel about harboring us from the authorities after we dispose of the body to some Grimm? He would understand, surely?_

"I'm telling you, I don't like anybody! All the boys I know wouldn't be into anything serious, trust me I've asked. Plus, they have their eyes-"

"Nowhere inappropriate, right?" Yang was cut off as Summer entered the conversation like a freight train full of Dust.

"Uhhh, sure?"

Summer narrowed her eyes.

"Definitely not."

Summer smiled, "Good. Now, let's get back on track. And I'll only ask this once more - Who. Is. It?"

Yang seemed to deflate, just like a lousy tomato Summer would toss out from her kitchen.

 _Ok, no more cooking metaphors. I guess the coffee isn't holding me over like I thought it was._

"I'm telling you guys, I don't like anyone. I just finished talking with Jaune, and I think I made some progress. So, I was in a good mood and was distracted." Yang turned away from the stunned adults and sat on the couch opposite of them.

 _Jaune…_

Summer remembered what she did - what she did to break his trust. What she did to all of them. Even if they didn't know it yet.

 _Progress…_

Summer realized she had lost herself in memories when both Yang and Qrow were staring at her.

"Mom, are you ok?"

"What's up, Sum?"

Summer suddenly tasted something metallic on her tongue and put her hands towards her lips. She felt the sudden slickness on it and pulled her backhand to look. Blood.

 _Shit._

Summer raised herself off the couch and went to retrieve a towel. "I'm fine now. I just remembered...the mission."

Summer saw the concern melt away to pity and understanding.

 _When did it become so easy?_

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yang, ever the ball of caring and sympathy, asked.

"I...I-no, I'm sorry sweetie. I promise I'll tell you all when I'm ready. Not now, but trust me, it'll be soon." Summer returned to the living room with a bandage on her lip. "Now, back to the topic at hand. I'm glad and surprised you've managed to establish some level of trust with Jaune."

 _He definitely needs it when I'm here._

"Yeah, firecracker, how'd you manage to do that?" Qrow asked.

"Oh, that's easy. We just yelled at each other for a bit, apologized and started over."

The ticking of the clock became prevalent in the room once again.

"You did _what?!_ " Both Qrow and Summer shouted.

"Uhhh, it's not like we _started_ by yelling. I was trying to lighten the mood and keep him off balance with a few jokes. He started opening up but shut himself down after a few chuckles. I kept pushing, and he snapped at me. I would have just taken it, but…" Summer saw her eyes flash crimson, "He started mentioning you, Mom, and I cut him off. We had a heck of stare down for a second before he relented and actually apologized _first._ We made up after that."

Summer tried to force herself to remain calm.

 _I blame those stupid Branwen genes. All fucking brawn and no brains sometimes, I swear...Oh. Huh. That makes sense actually. Why didn't I see that before? They're even pronounced the same for God's sakes._

"I...you know what? I don't even care at this point. I'm just glad you were able to do _something_ for him." Summer said.

Summer heard something that sounded suspiciously like 'I need a drink' from Qrow under his breath before he responded.

"Good for you firecracker. Now, do you mind checking on your sis for me? Your mother and I need to finish my lessons real quick, and we'll catch up. We'll go for a lil' sparring session since it seems I've failed to properly entertain you if you go to those _boys_ to spar."

Yang's eyes seemed to glow, and Summer could practically _feel_ the temperature spike as she got excited.

She bounced down the hall, leaving the two Hunters alone in the room. Summer was about to say something but paused as she realized Qrow said something off, but she couldn't place what exactly.

Qrow turned towards her and tilted his head as if he was studying her. Not that anyone would allow _Qrow_ of all people to do anything scientific that wasn't killing Grimm.

 _What did he say? Wait, he said something about continuing our lessons when he has been trying to-_

"Why did you lie to us earlier, Sum?"

Summer's world stopped, and she felt her blood turn to ice in her veins. Her breathing sped up, and her fingers gripped the coffee mug in her hands so hard, it cracked.

"W-what are you talking about Qrow?! I never-"

"Cut the bullshit Summer, please. You didn't remember anything about the mission. You have also _never_ lied to me before today. So, what were you thinking about?" Qrow said.

 _H-how the hell does he know? I've never told anyone anything about my semblance before! I-I can't tell him the truth. I'm not ready yet! Jaune isn't either. Yang is just starting to reach out to Jaune and this will break him if he hears about it now. What the hell do I do?!_

Summer heard an intake of breath and then a deep sigh from the man in front of her. Summer raised her head slowly, fearing what lay on her friend's face. She nearly dropped her coffee. Qrow sat there, lips curled into a deep frown, with his crimson eyes locked onto her face. Summer expected anger, rage, sadness or anything except for what she saw.

Disappointment.

Qrow looked away, sagging into his seat, and brought his hand up to his bangs to force them back above his head in his usual style. He looked back at her.

 _Tick._

 _Tock._

 _Tick._

 _Tock._

 _Tick._

 _Tock._

"Fine. Deal with it on your own. Remember this, though. Who was it that dragged my sister and I through the halls of Beacon claiming we were friends, even though we had just met two hours before? Who was it that would constantly try and pry her way into our private lives because, and I quote, _'Nothing is private now that we are a team!'_ Who was it that dragged me onto a roof and forced me to spill out why we were attending Beacon? And then claimed she didn't care because _'It's ok. We're friends. I know you'll never hurt us. Or at least me. Tai's a handful sometimes, huh?'_ Because I don't see that girl in front of me now. I haven't seen her since Rae left.

I've been lying to myself, trying to ignore the pained looks you give us sometimes. I try and ignore the pure, unfiltered _guilt_ I see when you look at me. Like you're to blame for the world going to shit. Because that is **BULLSHIT, SUMMER ROSE.** "

Qrow gulped air before continuing.

"It's bullshit. You're even more of a moron than I thought you were if you actually believe that. You've made so many lives better, Summer. You've saved Gods knows how many people over your career, and however many in the future due to Ruby and Yang. I hate to see you pity yourself like you're doing now. The Summer Rose I know would never wallow in her self-pity or self-hatred. Where is that idealistic, yet headstrong leader that brought our team together? Where is that quirky, yet wholesome young woman that led her team against the strongest things on Remnant? Where is the older and experienced Huntress that survived on her own for over three months deep in the Wilds? Where is the woman-" Qrow stopped himself, a look of uncertainty and hesitation crossing his face before his eyes turned steely and he set his jaw.

"Where is the woman I fell for, all those years ago?"

Summer just sat there, staring at Qrow. Liquid was pooled near her eyes as she processed the bomb he just dropped.

 _H-he...loved me? Since when-_

"But not anymore. You've changed Summer. _Something_ happened, and you changed. It seems like after the mission- no, even before that. When Rae left us, the woman I loved left as well. It's why I didn't interfere when you and Tai started dating. I knew he could take better care of you than I could. You both needed each other. It's around then I started drinking. You all assumed it was because of Raven leaving us. But, in reality, it's when I knew the woman I loved was gone forever." Qrow paused and slumped back into the couch's embrace.

The waterworks were in full swing for Summer now.

"Why...Why didn't you ever tell me?" Summer asked- no, _begged_.

"Because I knew you loved Tai much more than you would me. Even back when he and Rae were hooked up."

Summer tried to argue, but it died in her throat. Because he was _right_ , she _wouldn't_ have loved Qrow nearly as much as he would to her.

Qrow smiled with melancholy. "See, I was right. It wouldn't have been good for either of us, especially if you didn't reciprocate my feelings and the team fell apart because of us. Now, that's a moot point, but I digress."

He looked back at her, a pleading look in his eye. "Please, Summer. Tell me what's wrong. I swear, we can work together, all of us. Hell, I'll ask for Ozpin's permission and drag Raven's ass back to Patch with an army if that's what it takes. Just…" He stopped as he saw Summer shaking her head and sobbing at the same time.

Qrow looked into her eyes and Summer saw his heartbreak. He stood up and started walking towards the front door.

"I...I can't do this anymore, Summer. I'm going to talk to Ozpin and ask to be put back on active duty. I won't mention why. I...just can't stand to see you like this Summer. I'll leave in two days. Either you find the courage to tell me what happened…

...Or you find the courage to say goodbye to your friend."

And with that, the man that caused misfortune wherever he went, left like the leaves on a summer breeze.

Summer huddled up onto the thick carpet of her living room and cried.


	7. Chance

**Announcement for previous readers: I have re-written the first chapter of the story because it wasn't up to my standards. I have changed/added a few things, so make sure to go back and read it before continuing forward. Thanks again - Toast.**

* * *

 _Gods, I hate Dust. If I ever have to see another spec of the stuff in my entire life, it will be too soon._

Jaune groaned as he attempted to swing off the bed.

 _Note to self: Ask Yang for advice on how to control Aura, so moving doesn't hurt so fucking much.  
_

Jaune sighed in relief as the cold floor of his room blessed his feet.

 _Another note to self: Ice. Bath._

Jaune threw on his green cloak that had been washed and folded on one of the chairs near the door before stepping into the hallway.

 _Now, if I were sustenance, where would I be?_

Jaune passed a suspiciously decorated door that just screamed 'Pre-teen girl'...if it wasn't for all the weapon drawings.

" I WILL SLAY THEE FOR THINE COOKIES!"

Jaune jumped as a loud- and suspiciously high-pitched- voice sounded from beyond the 'weapon' door. Jaune realized his mistake not a second later.

 _Oh, that's right. I'm still injured. Well, this is gonna hurt — a lot.  
_

Jaune landed _hard_. A loud _crash_ echoed through the halls.

 _Yuppp hurts like hell._

The sound of a door opening to his side distracted him from his agony. He turned to look and was met with wide silver eyes.

"Omygoshareyouok?"

Jaune just blinked at her.

"What?"

The girl turned red as her cloak that was fashioned above her...pajamas. She took a deep breath and tried again.

"Are you ok? Did you hurt yourself when you fell?"

Jaune chuckled and winced as he tried to stand. Suddenly, a very tiny and very pale hand was shoved in his face. He looked up at Ruby.

She had a small smile on her face as she looked down on him, her silver eyes holding hope, excitement, and...a ton of nervousness. If that wasn't already given away by the fact, she was sort of... _vibrating._ He chuckled and took her hand.

 _Woah, she's got one hell of a grip. Is she a huntress-in-training? Might explain her fanaticism with weapons._

"Thanks for the save there, Ruby. Sorry about that, I tripped and fell when I wasn't paying attention. I hope I didn't wake you up?" Jaune laughed nervously at that last part.

Ruby coughed lightly, "Haha, funny story about that. I sort of _was_ asleep, and you did...kindofwakemeupfromthiswonderfuldream."

"What?"

"Uhhh, don't worry about it! Soooo….how's your day going?"

Jaune just shrugged. "Eh, it's been...ok I guess. Had a...dream about my family, met your Dad- who has _no_ idea how to deal with me by the way-met your sister, snapped and then nearly fought with your sister and then made up. I think we're friends now."

Ruby looked at him funny. "Wait, you _argued_ almost _fought_ with Yang? And now you're friends?"

"Uh, Yes?"

Ruby snorted, which then turned into full-blown laughter. Jaune just blinked owlishly at her.

"I-I'm sorry, Jaune. That's just exactly what I expect from my sister when she makes friends. Anyways, you said you met Dad?"

Jaune cringed a little as he responded. "Yeah, but it wasn't the most... _warm_ greeting I could have given him. I wasn't thinking straight, and all I saw was-"

Jaune cut himself off as he realized what he was about to divulge.

 _What is with the Roses and their ability to get me to talk about my personal issues? Is it the puppy-dog eyes? The complete innocence in her expression?_

"-someone from my past. I really need to make it up to him. Sorry about that."

Ruby pouted for a second before sighing, "It's fine, Jaune. I understand Dad can be…" She cringed, "...Overly friendly at times. He just wants to get to know you, 'is all."

Jaune smiled at the smaller girl trying to defend her father. "It's fine. I just want to see him and apologize for being such a-"

Ruby narrowed her eyes.

"-butthead. Gosh, with that glare you'd think I was about to say a curse word or something."

Ruby blew a raspberry as he started laughing. She joined in not long after.

 _Gods, how I missed this. I haven't laughed like this since Scarlet and-_

Jaune suddenly stopped his laughter, a dark expression replacing his mirth from before.

Ruby noticed immediately and looked at him in concern.

"Jaune?"

A dense forest, the evening sunlight, an angelic voice and it's laughter.

"Jaune, are you ok?"

A young girl, no older than ten stood in a clearing, dancing to a song only she could hear. She moved her feet with such grace and innocence that it seemed the world couldn't touch her. As she finished her dance, she spun around towards him, a brilliant smile on her face that seemed to wash away his worries. She was safe. Safe from-

" **JAUNE!"**

Jaune nearly fell over for the second time that day.

Ruby was _really_ close to his face, tears ready to gush forth.

"Finally! Do you know how long I've neem trying to get your attention? I was about ready to call Mom! What happened? Are you hurt? Do we need to call-"

"Ruby, I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize what was happening. I was...spaced out, I guess? I don't know. I just was remembering something...I'm sorry."

Ruby looked like she was about ready to either hug him to death since he was alright or beat him to death for scaring her. She took a deep breath before putting on a pout.

"...Just don't do it again, please?"

Jaune sighed before saying, "I can't make any promises, but I'll try. Deal?"

Ruby continued her pout/glare/just-kicked-a-puppy look before sighing.

"That's the best I'm gonna get, isn't it?"

"Yep. Sorry, my mind is an enigma; even to myself."

Ruby snorted but didn't press further. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Sooooo…."

Jaune looked over to the caped crusader beside him.

"Do you mind if I get changed? It's, uh, kinda cold in here."

 _Oh, she still in her PJ's...whoops._

"Please, go ahead. I'll just wait out here until you're ready, I guess."

She smiled before dashing back into her room, rose petals flying in her wake as they danced around the hallway…

...before several smashed into his face.

 _...Well, at least it wasn't an Ursa claw this time._

Jaune could hear an assortment of _bangs_ and muffled noises that sounded suspiciously like censored cursing. A very short minute later, Ruby reappeared from her room dressed in an outfit that was very similar to the one she had worn the day before, except for a few minor details. The most notable was the small streaks of white that replaced some of the red highlights, as well as the white laces on her corset.

 _...She really wants to imitate Summer, huh?_

"You look nice, Ruby. Is the white taken from your mother?"

Ruby blushed a little at the obvious inspiration, "It's not too much is it?"

"Nah, it's fine. The white works _really_ well to contrast the black of the dress and your red cloak."

Ruby looked at him strangely with her head tilted slightly.

"...What? I grew up with seven sisters; I know a few things about fashion."

And with that statement, Jaune lost his earlier enthusiasm.

 _What is wrong with me? I can't even mention them without feeling depressed._

"Jaune?"

Jaune looked forward and found silver eyes waiting to meet him. He saw confusion and worry within and sighed.

"Sorry, Rubes. Lost in thought again. I'm fine."

"...Wanna talk about it?"

Jaune looked up in surprise to find Ruby with a caring, yet serious expression on her face. Jaune pursed his lips.

 _Maybe I just need to get it off my chest? Like with Summer? Although I don't feel that... "warmth" coming from her, she clearly cares- if that look in her eyes is anything to go by. But, will it last? Mother cared about me before...it happened, yet she still left. Can I really trust her? I've known her for less than a day for Brothers' sake! What if she says something to someone on accident? She's only thirteen, so it's not impossible. Wait, if...Oh, Gods...if_ he _finds out that she knows me...Will he hurt her for the information? Or will she just tell him if he's persuasive enough? No, I can't tell her. Nobody else. They...they can't know the full truth. They'll be in danger once he finds out. Regardless of trust, I can't just-_

Jaune found his internal debate cut off as a memory slipped into his muddled head.

" _Just give them a chance."_

…

Jaune sighed. "Alright, What do you wanna know? Be warned though; I'm not telling everything."

Ruby started _buzzing_ with excitement.

"Yes! Alright, tell me about your sisters! How is it like living with _seven_ of them! I only have Yang, and she's a pain by herself sometimes, but _seven?!_ "

Jaune chuckled, "Well Rubes, It's all about learning what they like to eat. Don't repeat this anywhere else, but I know from a very _harsh_ experience that Opal _hates_ strawberries."

Ruby gasped.

"That _fiend!_ "

* * *

From around the corner, a girl with blond hair smiled.

 _Good for you Lady Killer._

She smirked as Jaune mentioned something about washing dye out of blonde hair and how it stayed on his hand for a week.

 _Really though, he seems like a good kid._

Yang's gaze darkened.

 _So, when I find out who the_ **hell** _hurt him…_

 _...I wonder if Uncle Oz would help us hide the body? Beacon is huge, right? I mean, he's not really family, but close enough, eh?_

* * *

It was all her fault.

Rae, Team JETT, Tai's breakdown, Jaune and now Qrow.

 _Gods...Why…_

 _I've never been unfaithful. Please. Just tell me why._

 _Why can I never tell them? Why can't I just tell the people I love the truth? Why am I such a coward? Why am I such a horrible wife? Friend? Daughter?_

 _Person?_

 _Is it because I left them? Is it because I ran? Because I abandoned them all those years ago? Is this my punishment? Is this-_

Summer wasn't able to finish her pity session as a very warm and blonde dragon crashed into her.

"Mom! What happened? Are you all right? Where's Uncle Qrow? Are you hurt?"

Summer swallowed as she looked towards her little sun's concerned face.

 _Gods...What am I going to tell her?_

'H-hey my precious l-little dragon. Your uncle and I got into...an a-argument...and he stormed off. I'm s-so sorry, but I think you'll have to wait on that s-spar sweetie."

Yang looked at her, disbelief and shock evident on her face.

"What the hell do you mean "argument"? You two _never_ fight. I mean I don't even remember the last time you raised your voice!" She narrowed her eyes when she caught Summer's guilty gaze. "There's something you're not telling me isn't there?"

Summer nearly started sobbing again when Yang pulled away from her.

"W-what are you talking about sweetie? I'd never-"

" **Don't finish that sentence**."

Red eyes met Summer's silver.

"Raven"

"Sweetie, we've told you-"

"Yeah, well guess what? It sounds like horseshit to me."

"What?!"

"Oh, you guys really expect me to believe that Raven left because she 'had to'? That she would abandon her daughter just because of 'protection' when she's a part of the 'legendary' Team STRQ? Especially since they all live together?"

"I know the truth- what you all refuse to say or believe. What you all attempt to hide from me. From Ruby."

Yang sighed, her eyes returning to Illiac once again.

"She doesn't care about me."

Summer crawled towards Yang.

"Oh, sweetie-"

"NO!" Yang shouted, standing up suddenly. "I don't want your pity! I want answers! What happened with Raven? What happened in the five fucking minutes I was gone checking on Ruby? Why is he gone? What the hell could you have possibly done-"

Yang suddenly stopped and stared at Summer.

"Oh, Gods. You broke it, didn't you?"

Summer's breath hitched in her throat.

 _How does she know about-_

"-'The Promise'. Qrow let it slip one time when he was drinking too much. The only reasonable explanation for why Qrow could go from joking and laughing with you to... _leaving_ is if you broke it. So, Summer. Tell me. _**What did you do?"**_

Tears started leaking out of her eyes as she took a shaky breath.

 _This is it — the perfect out. I just need to say it.  
_

Summer opened her mouth and…

 _ **Tick-tock**_

 _ **Tick-tock**_

 _ **Tick-tock**_

...started bawling her eyes out.

 _Why? Why can't I say such simple words? Why, Gods?_

 _Why…?_

 _Why…?_

 _WHY?_

 _ **DAMN IT ALL! WHY?**_

Yang just... _stared._

"Wow, you really can't bring yourself to admit it, huh? That you broke his trust. I hate myself for asking this, but have you lied to the rest of us about anything else?"

Summer continued sobbing and didn't respond. She almost didn't notice Yang's posture slump.

Yang turned away from her and started moving towards the stairs.

"I...I need to think about this. I'll be checking on Ruby, and...I'll let you sort yourself out."

Yang turned and walked up the steps. Each footfall was a nail in her heart as she sobbed once again.

 _She...she probably hates me now. Gods, once Tai-_

Summer's breath hitched again as she launched herself into another round of waterworks.

 _W-What am I going to tell Tai?  
_

' _Sorry Qrow's run off because I can't stop being such a bitch and tell the truth about my semblance, oh and your daughter hates me now for lying to her face?'_

 _I-I can't stay here. I need time to think about what I'm going to say to them. I_ won't _let this family break apart any further. I need to talk to..._

Summer gasped and started fumbling with her scroll; searching the sparse contact list for the one name she trusted everything with.

'Dad'

She hit the button and tried to stop her sobbing, mostly succeeding.

"Summer, what can I do for you this evening?"

Until she heard his voice that is.

"D-Dad, I...I can't stay at the house right now. I-I need to-"

"Say no more; I'll send someone to pick you up. We'll talk once you get here; the lines have been a little _spotty_ lately."

Summer managed to stamp out her tears for just a second to respond to his 'unusual' phrasing.

"T-thanks Dad. I-I understand the connection can b-be a bit _loose_ sometimes. D-Do we have our usual on it?"

Her Dad chuckled, "Of course dear, for such an important task, we can only have the best. Now, calm down, and I'll have the good doctor make that special brew that I know will cheer you up. See you in a few, dear."

Summer sniffed as she ran out of the house, heading to the standard landing zone by the cliffs.

"T-thanks again, I'll see you soon…"

She took a shuddering breath and whispered,

"...Ozpin."

* * *

 **I just realized I do quite a bit of dramatic reveals at the end of my chapters...sorry about that.**

 **Welcome back! Sorry for the slight (read: long) delay. I wasn't feeling motivated to write and I kept getting stuck on this chapter, so my apologies on that yet again. The second chapter of the rewrite is coming along...decently. Although, I'm coming to the conclusion that rewrites _suck,_ especially when you have to decide what needs to go and what can stay the same. It's very frustrating but necessary. Also, no, I'm not redoing everything. Just the first two chapters and minor edits for 3/4 if I have to. Also, if you haven't gone back and read the first chapter again, I _highly_ reccomend it. It's _so_ much better than my previous one. **

**Moving on, this chapter was rather interesting for me to write. After such an intense(read: angsty) scene last chapter, I wanted something more fun and lighthearted to happen, even if some angst did bleed over. My bad. But It managed to resolve itself nicely. Oh, and by the way, just because Jaune is telling Ruby a little about his family does this mean he's going to be telling her the full story. It's..kinda intense for someone her age. Then, I promptly ruined the nice moment by throwing some more Summer angst in there. Way to go me.**

 **Oh and don't worry, Summer's gonna have a nice cry/chat session with the good professor about why she's being so stupid. I mean, she's being angsty/stupid for a reason but she's also sort of not giving her family the benefit of the doubt here.**

 **Anyways, thats enough padding the word count- I mean, that's enough from me today.**

Please Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!

See ya next time!


	8. Calm

Panic. That's what he was projecting right now. He didn't care. His wife was missing. His _second_ wife was missing. In front of him sat the only three people he could get information out of. Both Qrow and Summer had turned off their Scrolls while no one had seen either of them leave the island via the ferry.

 _Qrow probably flew off with his damn bird magic and Summer…_

Taiyang sighed before refocusing his energy on the depressed children in front of them. Well, two of them looked depressed, the other one looked _pissed off._

 _I'm too old for this._

"Alright, kids from the top. While I was at the school, what happened?"

Surprisingly, it was Ruby who answered, and not the glowing fireball sat next to her.

"M-Mom fought with Qrow about...s-something. Uncle Qrow...left and Mom was apparently…" Ruby stopped herself and choked back a sob. It took all of his willpower not to rush over and hug her beyond belief, but he needed her to concentrate.

"...Mom was sobbing on the floor. Yang tried to comfort her, but Mom tried...tried…" Ruby's voice cracked and started crying. Jaune put a hand on her shoulder and started whispering something Taiyang couldn't hear.

"She lied. To me." Yang spoke with such an intensity to her voice that Taiyang himself flinched.

 _Gods Summer, what did you do?_

"Yang-"

"No Dad. I don't want to hear it! She lied to me! To all of us! I've trusted her with _everything,_ and even though she's not my real Mom-" Yang's temper simmered down, and her voice cracked. "I treated her like she was."

Taiyang moved before he realized it. He crouched down next to Yang and grabbed her hands, forcing her to stare into his blue eyes.

"Yang, be honest with me, do you believe, with everything Summer and I have done for you all -setting aside what she did for now- that she wouldn't love you any more than I do? "

"But she-"

"Nope. Answer me."

Yang sighed. "No, but-"

"No butts. At least not with those pants."

Ruby had stopped crying at that point and giggled at his inappropriate joke. Yang cracked a smile. A small one, but it was a smile nonetheless.

 _Progress._

"Now, knowing that Summer loves you more than anything in the world, do you believe she would lie to you without a perfectly good reason to?" Taiyang asked.

"No, but-"

"Yang, what did I say about butts?"

Yang growled, somewhat threateningly, before conceding.

"One more question: Do you believe that if Summer were a malicious person or pathological liar, either myself, Qrow, or Raven wouldn't have seen it _years_ ago? Do you believe I would have married her if she was? Or had any hint of being anything other than a sweet, loving and frankly adorable person?"

Yang sighed, defeat written all over her face.

"No."

"Good! Because you would be wrong otherwise!" Taiyang said.

Yang chuckled before looking at him.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm...calmer now. I'm still gonna ask a bunch of questions when I see her and probably get angry-"

 _Wow, she's serious — no "Yangry" pun.  
_

"-but, thank you anyways, Dad. You're the best."

Taiyang chuckled. "Well, that's what it says on my coffee mug, at least."

Yang laughed, and Ruby snickered while Jaune smiled.

 _Much better. Now, what to do with the two children masquerading as grown adults? Hmm, maybe Oz would know? Summer might have gone to Oz himself now that I think about it. It makes the most sense- it's not like she has anywhere else to stay. Guess I'll be giving the good Professor a call soon. Well, enough of that, time for operation: Distract the kids!  
_

"Alright, now...who wants cookies?"

And like that, he had them.

* * *

He was drunk. He knew that. Didn't stop him from downing another. Or trying to hit on the waitress as she passed the bar. Falling into old habits comforted him, in some slight way. Reminded him of the good ol' days. He blinked and scowled at the thought.

 _Gods, I'm old._

He sighed before downing another _Mistralian Red_. He usually didn't care for fruity drinks, but he wasn't in the mood for his usual whiskey, either. Whiskey reminded him of S-

 _Nope, not gonna go there. I'm here to forget the bullshit, not think about it. That's what tomorrow is for. After the hangover 'course._

Qrow sighed again as the bartender made his way over.

"You doin' ok there, bud? Ya, look like ya had a shitty day there."

Qrow snorted.

"Listen, pal, you dunno the half of it. Yes, today was a 'shitty day,' and now I just wanna drink and forget. Got a problem?"

The bartender huffed, "Jeesh, was just checking on ya, bud. Don't get yer panties in a twist over me, eh? Need another one?"

"Please."

The bartender grunted and got to work. Despite the name, the drink itself wasn't native to Mistral. It was from Vacuo, ironically enough. See, the drink was composed of ice, gin, lemon juice, and a unique plant native to Vacuo called a _Red Holly_. It was extremely popular in the desert kingdom, and the CEO of the company that created it guarded the recipe fiercely. The drink never made it internationally due to the expensive shipping costs since _Red Holly_ could only grow in Vacuo.

One day, a friend of the CEO from Mistral visited and persuaded the CEO to give him the recipe. He secretly made a copy and brought it back to Mistral, where the scientists he hired to alter the _Red Holly_ to adapt to more temperate climates found success. The 'friend' of the CEO founded his own company and using a slightly modified recipe, created _Mistralian Red._ It became an instant success, and its story remains wildly popular in bars and other seedier places.

 _Ahh, how wonderful it is to see man's true colors through all the bullshit. Liars, cheats, and frauds them all. Well, I don't know what I expected, really. It is Mistral, after all._

Qrow sighed again as he took a sip from his current escape tactic. He was so enthralled with his drinking he didn't hear the gasps of shock and panicked whispers that started up from the crowd. Nor did he hear the tell-tale sound of heavy boots smacking the wooden floor. Nor did he notice when his sister practically _threw_ the guy sitting next to him off his seat.

" 'Sup Rae."

She turned and gave him a glare that would cause grown men to quake in their shoes, make Grimm second guess their decision to annoy her, and had given Ozpin endless amounts of headaches. Or lawsuits. He couldn't remember which right now.

"Qrow, you know how much that name annoys me. Speak. What are you doing getting shitfaced at this…" She glanced around the decaying room which was only really held together by prayers. "... _establishment_ when you should either be hunting down Grimm or protecting your nieces."

Qrow merely sighed before downing the rest of his drink. After the blessed burning sensation had left his throat, he turned towards her and said one word.

"Summer."

Raven narrowed her eyes dangerously and whispered in a low voice, "What?"

"You heard me. Summer is what happened. She's lying to us about something, and I'm not sure what it is. See, I found this kid nearly burnt to death in the Emerald Forest and brought him back to the house so we could Pa-"

Qrow suddenly felt his 'Danger' senses tingling before he could finish. He looked towards Raven's sword and noticed her hand was rested on its hilt. He met her eyes and saw the dangerous glint within.

"I _will_ cut you if you make a pun."

Qrow swallowed nervously.

 _Ok, forgot who I was with for a second there. Dammit, Yang._

"Sorry, sis. Anyways, this kid is all sorts of messed up after having survived a Grimm attack with little to no combat training and _no Aura_."

 _That_ caught Raven's attention. She smirked and opened her mouth to speak before Qrow cut her off.

"-And no, you cannot take him back to the tribe with you. When I say he's all sorts of messed up, I mean in the head too. I don't want to add 'being drafted into a paramilitary bandit tribe' to the shit he's had to go through."

Raven's smirked formed back into her trademark scowl as she glared at him.

Qrow forced himself to continue, trying to ignore the growing storm named 'Raven Branwen' seated next to him.

"So Summer tries to talk to the kid and... _something_ happens."

"What happened?"

"That's the thing, Rae." Qrow paused to take another sip of his drink.

" _I have no idea what is happening_. After her little meeting, Summer starts spacing out more so than usual. Starts acting jumpy around us and...then she tried to lie to me."

Raven just stared at him.

"She did _what?_ "

"She lied. She actually _lied_ to me. About what was bothering her. She claimed she was 'remembering the mission,' but I know that's not true."

Raven called over the absolutely _terrified_ bartender and asked for a drink. He didn't ask for her I.D. He was a smart one.

"She admitted to me one night when we were _really_ drunk, that she doesn't remember what happened on the mission. She said she remembers arriving at the location, but everything else is a blur. I guess she also doesn't remember telling me, huh?"

Raven looked at Qrow for a moment before sighing.

"Qrow…"

"That's not the only thing either! She has this...guilt about something. She hides it well from us, but sometimes her mask slips, and she just looks at us with... _shame._ Like, seriously? _Shame?_ Gods, Rae. It's like…"

Qrow paused for a moment as realization dawned on him.

"It's like she's hiding something that she thinks will make us see less of her."

Raven nearly spat out her drink and started coughing.

Qrow turned to look at his sister, a single eyebrow raised.

"You a'ight there sis? I knew you weren't a heavy drinker, but jeesh…"

Raven continued coughing but still managed to level her signature glare at him. She calmed down after a minute and turned away from Qrow.

"You're not far from the truth, brother."

Qrow's glass cracked in his hand as he felt his semblance spike.

"...What?"

Raven sighed as she turned back to face him.

"I...I know what she's hiding."

Qrow just stared at her.

"...What?"

"Qrow, do you remember the night that I left Patch?"

 _Of course, I do. It's the night I lost you, idiot._

"...Yes."

"Well, after our little _spat_ , Summer went to talk to me. We said some... _questionable_ things to each other and she…" Raven sighed and downed her drink.

"She revealed her semblance to me."

Qrow's mind halted, and he felt the world start spinning around him.

 _No...no fucking way. That's…_

"...fucking bullshit Rae! She doesn't _have_ a semblance! Gods, do you honestly believe that she could hide it from us for _decades?_ "

Raven just sat there, a mask of indifference to her brother's outrage. Which only pissed Qrow off. He moved to start ranting again but was cut off.

"...Only if it was like yours."

Qrow looked warily at Raven, trying to find any deceit within her gaze. He found none.

"What do you mean, Rae?"

"I won't tell you the specifics, but...it's not something she can control. Well for the most part. From what I can tell, she has a hard time controlling it, even when she wants to use it." Raven said.

Qrow felt his hands start shaking, but he ignored it and reached for his drink. He took a look at it before pausing. _Mistralian Red_. He snorted.

" 'Ey Barkeep. Get me some whiskey, not in the mood for this fruity crap anymore."

Qrow turned towards Raven as the bartender scrambled to pour the whiskey without spilling it.

"So, let's say I believe you and Summer has been lying to us for over two decades- and Gods does that sounds really bad saying it out loud- but, the one question I have for you is this- _why the fuck did you not say anything to us?_ " Qrow spat out.

Raven kept her face calm, but something stirred in her eyes. She reached for her drink and took a sip.

"Because it wasn't my story to tell, brother. If Summer wanted you to know, she would have told you. In fact, _I_ wasn't supposed to know, but she let it slip while we were arguing."

"That's bullshit, and you know it. Summer is tearing us apart because of this. We _needed_ to know." Qrow said.

"Well, maybe I didn't want to see the last parts of my family at each other's throats because I told the truth!

Qrow and Raven both glared at each other before looking away again.

They both sat there, listening to the sounds of the bar around them. Finally, Raven broke the silence.

"I'm leaving now. I need to return to the tribe."

Qrow merely nursed his whiskey as he heard the heavy impact of her boots on the wooden floor.

"You should visit her, Rae."

The noise ceased.

"You know why I can't. If they-"

Qrow spun around and glared at her.

"If they _what?_ Honestly, Raven. The only ones who know are the old wizard and us. They have _no idea_ who you are. So, go visit them. Just this once. They need you."

Raven merely glanced at him, her mask hiding her true feelings from him.

"We both know there's going to be a lot of hurt before they accept me, brother. They don't need that right now."

Qrow sighed before taking another sip of his whiskey.

"Although…"

Qrow raised an eyebrow.

 _Oh, shit. I'm not gonna like this am I?_

"If you make up with Summer, I'll visit once things settle down. Maiden's promise."

Qrow just stared wide-eyed at his sister. He looked at his whiskey, up to Raven and back to his whiskey. He turned and asked the bartender.

"Did you spike my drink?"

* * *

Sunsets were some of the most profound, yet beautiful things in this world. The Sun: A giant celestial body made of gas that _just_ happens to be the perfect distance away from a random rock floating within the void to provide life. A miracle of nature. If, he didn't know the truth. That's why he watched them. To forget the truth of this cruel world he was forever stuck in. He could just stare at them and lose himself in the colors it created as it sunk below the horizon line. That is before the shattered moon rose in its place and reminded him of the reality he currently faced.

 _I truly am getting too old for this._

Ozpin spun his chair around back towards his desk. On it, a holographic screen promised more prep-work for the school year. He sighed before turning to his only salvation during these trying times.

 _My, I do indeed owe Bart for creating this special blend. More budget for the school year perhaps? Hmmm, it's possible, yet it doesn't seem...grand enough. Maybe he would like to visit the ruins of Alheim? Ah, that would put him in a good mood and allow me to stretch my legs. I'll run it by Glynda tomorrow during the staff meeting. Surely she wouldn't mind overseeing the school for a few days while I'm out?_

Ozpin grinned at his musings.

 _Oh, what would I do without you Glynda?_

Ozpin heard what sounded vaguely like an explosion through the open window.

 _...Probably die of an aneurysm when dealing with these teenagers no doubt._

He sighed before turning back to his work but paused. He glanced at a particular button residing near the edge of his desk.

 _It wouldn't hurt to check on her before I really get going, I suppose._

Ozpin pushed the button and watched as a part of his office floor opened and revealed a spiral staircase leading down into his chambers. He pushed off his seat before gingerly walking down the steps, careful not to wake its occupant. In the rather sparse but undoubtedly large room lay a bed with a solitary figure on it. Her white cloak was splayed down her shoulders as she slowly shifted from side-to-side.

 _She's dreaming. I wonder what about? Ruby? Yang? Or maybe the boy Qrow picked up._

Ozpin's smile died a little when he thought of the boy.

 _Jaune Arc, just what happened to you?_

* * *

 **Hello Everyone! Sorry for the delay, I was sort of sick over the weekend and had issues focusing on writing. Feeling better now, though, so no need to worry! Now, onto the chapter.**

 **I had someone last chapter say they felt the dialogue between Yang and Summer felt "off" and looking back over, I have to agree somewhat. Hopefully, this chapter is better. Now, I threw in two new characters and a new perspective this chapter (not like I already have too many of those or anything) that hopefully are interesting to see. Especially my take on Raven. She was...fun to write. Especially since I don't like her character much in canon. So I changed it. Hopefully, nobody minds too badly but we'll see.**

 **Now, onto Summer. Don't worry about her angst going on for too much longer, Ozzy boi is gonna set her straight. Or at least, onto the right path. Now, this current arc will probably finish up within 2-3 chapters, so yay to that. After that, it's up in the air. I can either spend some time fleshing out Yang/Ruby/Summer etc. as well as Vale proper since we haven't actually seen it yet. Or I can do some time-skip shenanigans to skip to Beacon. It's up in the air right now and I'll take any suggestions from you guys. Because Beacon is happening. But, don't expect it to follow canon much...or at all really. Still working on the deats to that, but I got a couple of surprises in that department.**

 **Well, that's enough from me.**

Please Review, Favorite, and Follow if you enjoyed!

See ya next time!


	9. Who Would Inhabit this World Alone Part1

Summer listened to the gears ticking above her head as she sat in the Headmaster's office. She frowned.

 _Gods, I hate that sound._

She glanced around the sparse clocktower as the cold metal of the chair dug into her spine. Her...compact stature limited her feet from the reaching the floor- not that it bothered her, she merely comforted herself knowing that if she needed to duck a sudden incoming explosive from one of the idiotic teenagers below, well, the man before her had to duck much faster.

The tower contained only three things- her chair, the Headmaster's desk and the man himself. The last one she refused to acknowledge, even as he sat there, staring at the paperwork littered around his full desk. The man- the one that refused to let her leave this death trap he called a school-ignored her to instill some level of uncertainty into her heart like she was one of the idiotic teenagers that got caught doing something stupid- not that she cared. The man was merely letting her come up with some more excuses, so she didn't get into trouble.

Not that it mattered. This whole thing was a farce- the school, the idiotic teenagers that were meant to protect the world, the man's care for her. Fake. All of it. The school merely allowed the man to hold his little secret meetings when he thought she wasn't paying attention. Stupid, especially when it was easy to spot when several high-level figures met at odd times of the night several times a month. The fact that no one else noticed when a 'little girl' like her could- well, there was a reason she called them 'idiotic teenagers.'

Speaking of, those idiots masquerading as 'heroes' were all going to die if they went out to the actual Wilds- their insistence on 'honor' and 'righteousness' made them weak. Honorable men allowed their opponents to strike them straight through their so-called 'honor,' and righteous men were blinded by their insistence that their path was the correct one- that their path would save lives.

She snorted.

 _Idiots._

And last but not least, the man's… 'care' for her. It was obvious he needed her for something- otherwise, why would he save her? But, that something was the issue. She had no idea what he wanted- maybe he saw some combat potential in her, so wished to raise her into one of the idiots below? It was possible, but considering the fact he just let her roam around the school and only taught her fundamental things occasionally- that probably wasn't it.

The subject of her previous thoughts suddenly set down the papers he had been holding and looked up at her with that infuriatingly smug smile of his- the one that made it seem like he knew everything and had the world in the palm of his hands.

She hummed.

Considering his position, he actually might.

"Well, Mrs. Rose, I'm rather disappointed in you. This is the third 'incident' this week and the sudden increase since last month is rather alarming- and while it is amusing to picture the students' new...decorium, it is still concerning. Are you doing alright?"

Summer raised an eyebrow at one of the stupidest things she had ever heard come from the man's mouth. Considering most of the words he used she barely understood, that was quite an achievement.

"Am I doing alright? No, I hate this place, I hate all of the idiots that I'm forced to spend time with, and I hate you for making me stay here." She said.

Ozpin blinked.

"Well, this is an improvement over last week, considering the last time I asked you a question you gave me 'the finger' and then proceeded to lambast my mother's faithfulness. With quite the impressive vocabulary I might add."

Summer felt her cheeks burn and she looked away when he mentioned her little...tantrum.

 _Alright, I went a bit too far there. But, to be fair, I was trapped in a conversation with that Port guy right before. The man couldn't take a hint I didn't want to talk even if I had used a sledgehammer. Actually, a sledgehammer would have been better at getting through his thick skull.  
_

"But, even so, you cannot continue with these 'incidents.' I need to know what I can do to help, and before you even ask- no, you're not allowed to leave the school." He said.

Summer lowered the hand she had raised and scowled. Or at least she _thought_ she did. Based on the man's lightly twitching lips, it probably looked cute rather than menacing. Her 'scowl' deepened.

"Nothing." Summer said.

Summer averted her eyes from the Headmaster. She looked out at the window to watch the sun touch the edge of the horizon.

The man sighed.

"Mrs. Rose. I'm going to ask you a question, and you cannot avoid it- otherwise, I'll force you to attend Port's lectures."

Summer paled.

 _I couldn't stand a five-minute conversation with that monster- if I have to spend an hour listening to him drone on and on…_

Summer shuddered and nodded her head.

The man's smug smile grew slightly as he continued his interrogation.

"Alright then. Mrs. Rose, why do you think I saved you from that village?"

"Because you need me to do something for you." She said without hesitation.

"Oh, really? You believe the only reason I saved you from that village is that I need you- a prepubescent girl with absolutely no combat training or experience- to do something for me, the Headmaster of Beacon and someone with an endless sea of contacts and resources?" Ozpin asked.

Summer felt her cheeks flushed and she looked away.

"Hmm, that's what I thought. So, guess again. Why did I save you?"

"Because you're a creepy old man who likes 'prepubescent girls' such as myself." Summer said.

The man promptly spat his drink back into his cup and looked at Summer with wide, horror-filled eyes.

She smirked. It felt good to get one-up on the man who seemed to hold all the cards.

 _Not that it means anything. I'm still stuck here._

The man wiped his mouth with a cloth handkerchief and looked at her with a disapproving frown.

"Mrs. Rose, that was completely unnecessary. In the entire duration of your stay, have I ever forced you to do something to make you uncomfortable in any way- _other_ than preventing you from leaving?" He asked.

Summer's smile faltered as she looked away. "No, you haven't."

"That's what I thought. Now, I understand that was a 'joke' on your end, but an accusation like that can have severe consequences for the other side- even if you defend them afterward." He said.

Summer fidgeted with her black dress as she stared at the gears above her head.

The man looked at her expectantly for a moment before giving up.

He sighed. "Mrs. Rose, the reason I saved you from that village is the same reason I am the Headmaster of this school- because I have a desire, a desire to protect the innocent from this cruel world."

Summer's eyes snapped back to the man in front of her.

 _What?_

"But, on that front, I have failed. When I went to your village to answer their distress call, I saw a little girl standing alone in front of a flaming village, surrounded by Grimm. But she wasn't afraid of the beasts around her. No, that little girl had her eyes glued to the flames- she was covered in soot and ash, but she did something that shook me to the core."

He looked straight into her eyes.

"She smiled. Not in glee or satisfaction- but relief. That smile was the reason I brought you back with me- you are broken, Mrs. Rose. Whatever those people did to you, it changed who you are as a person- and not for the better. When I saw your smile, I resolved myself to fix that smile and make it a true one- not one that was a mask for the pain and suffering you no doubt are feeling now. I owe it to you since I couldn't keep my promise."

Summer felt herself start shaking, but she didn't care.

 _He saved me because...he just wanted to? But, that doesn't make sense. No one ever acts unless it's for themselves. That's what they all said. That's what they all believed. That's what they taught me. That's how I survived. He must have some ulterior motive; it's impossible for him to...  
_

A pair of wide, silver eyes looked into her own- filled with endless love.

 _...actually, care._

Summer felt her heartbeat quicken.

 _No, that's impossible._

 _Remember the village, remember what they taught you._

Summer looked at the Headmaster, his deep brown eyes only showing kindness and compassion.

 _Remember the beatings, the anger, the shouting._

Summer looked at his face, a face that had a brilliant and genuine smile- one she had mistaken previously as smug.

 _Remember their hatred and fear._

She looked at his straight and rigid posture- not one filled with fear, but one of confidence.

 _Remember...Remember…_

Those loving silver eyes appeared in her mind once more.

' _Remember, my little rose- if one day you find someone that accepts you for who you are, hold onto them as tight as you can and never let them go. They will be the key to your happiness. Now go, be free and don't look back.'_

' _We love you, Summer.'_

It was like a dam finally broke within her- tears began falling like a waterfall.

 _Mom…Dad..._

She ignored the warm hands that scooped her into a tight embrace as she let out all of her pent up emotions. She tried to ignore the fact that she felt at ease in his embrace. She tried to ignore the fact he smelled like pine cones and fresh coffee. It was useless.

A weak smile bloomed like the last wilting rose of summer suddenly gaining new life.

* * *

 **Hey guys, I'm still here! I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in... well forever basically. After the last chapter, I was basically stuck in limbo on how I wanted to continue from here; eventually, I decided on what you just read. This chapter is really short, and for that, I apologize. But, I needed to get something out since it's been so long since I've last updated. I promise I'll get part two out a lot sooner than that though.**

 **Moving on, I'm sure everyone has noticed that this is in the past and are going WTF- yeah, I know it's not the talk that I've been hinting at, but it's something that I felt needed to be shared about Summer- she's a broken girl, and she's been one long before the events in the story. I've hinted at this- with the subtlety of a sledgehammer as most of you are aware- but I haven't explored this before. Well, in order for everyone to understand the context of the talk next chapter and the full implications of what Summer's going through- this chapter had to happen.**

 **Now, some people might disagree with me here- that not every character needs their backstory explained/flushed out for the reader to understand what's happening. I agree, somewhat, but in case you haven't noticed- I really like Summer and potential she has a character (She plays an important role in three of my fics after all) and this is one of the facets of her character that I want to touch on- the revelation that she's not this perfect mother/Huntress/whatever the show itself seems to promote. No one talks about her, but what little we've heard makes her seem perfect- and that's not very realistic.**

 **I wanted to explore her character as a human- not this goddess that seems to do no wrong. She's human- she makes mistakes, gets emotional and, most importantly, has a past that shapes her current actions. That's why she's been the focus the last few chapters (admittedly too much focus for a story that has Arc in the title), but it's necessary for Jaune's future development.**

 **Anyways, I've been ranting for way too long- expect the next chapter within the next few weeks.**

 **Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

 **See ya next time!**


	10. Who Would Inhabit this World Alone Part2

Summer listened to the gears ticking above her head as she sat in the headmaster's office. She smiled.

 _Gods, I've missed that sound._

She glanced around the spartan clocktower as she sunk into the comfortable leather chair, sighing in bliss. Nothing much had changed over the years, save for the chair she was currently sitting in. Or, the man before her.

Years of running the most prestigious academy on Remnant (according to herself anyways) had changed him. He was more subdued, drank copious amounts of caffeine, and didn't get enough sleep. That last one was met with constant badgering from both herself and Glynda- which he promptly waved off citing his caffeine intake and the fact he didn't need it the same way a normal person did.

 _Must be nice just to be able to wave your hand and have your fatigue disappear — damn wizard.  
_

That wasn't the only thing, either. Countless meeting with Councils both in Vale and abroad led to him creating a persona. His 'Headmaster' persona- One of a stoic, if occasionally flippant headmaster that either provided comfort or immense frustration, depending on who was talking to him at the time. It had to be draining, but it was something she rather appreciated at this moment.

Her father quietly sipped on his beverage as he looked through several documents on his computer. Summer looked at it and felt her finger twitch. She would never forget the hell he had put her and Glynda through.

Her father had the…' brilliant' idea that Beacon needed to switch from paper documents to digital in order to 'save resources.' When he first mentioned it, Summer didn't think anything of it. Oh, how naive she had been to think he'd never get payback for all her angst as a child. Summer shuddered.

 _If I ever see another 'student incident report' again, it will be far too soon._

Her father moved on from glancing at the no-doubt essential documents to look at herself. His usual self-assured smile was present. She loved that smile. It wasn't one that stretched from ear to ear, but it didn't have to. That small smile gave her more reassurance than any amount of comfort from anyone else- even her daughters.

 _Especially after what I've done._

He looked out the window at the sun as it was about to kiss the horizon. His eyes grew wistful as he spoke.

"Did you know sunsets are one of my favorite things in this world? While, rather obviously, their beauty is exquisite, they seem to speak to me in a way nothing else does." He chuckled at a joke she wasn't privy to. "They remind me despite how impossible the odds, such beautiful and wondrous things still exist. Do you like them, Summer?" Dad asked.

Summer quirked an eyebrow at the question. It seems he was in one of his…moods. Whenever he stayed up too late or drank too much caffeine, her father got all...introspective-y.

"Hmm, I guess so. I've never really been one for romantic cliches like sunsets." She chuckled. "Though, you know how much of a sucker I am for roses."

Dad raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? I took you more as a sunflower girl."

Summer snorted.

"Nah, sunflowers aren't my thing. They're too bright, plus they like destroying my garden when I forget to plant weed killer. Oh, and they would clash _horribly_ with any of my outfits. And I think Tai is allergic? I'm not sure on that last one since he was sneezing too much to hear right when I asked him."

Her father's stoic expression broke for a second as a smile bloomed. "Summer, the only thing I regret not teaching you is how to deliver snark with a straight face. It would carry you _so_ far in life."

They shared a brief laugh as the sun sunk lower into the horizon.

Her father's smile died as he looked back out the window, and his 'teacher' face emerged. Summer sighed silently. That was the expression she was most dreading. Even after all these years, he had it down to a tee. Her father was gone; it was Professor Ozpin's time now.

"But, back to what I was saying." Ozpin adjusted his glasses even though she damn well knew they hadn't moved an inch. He was such a drama queen. "I believe the reason why I like sunsets is that they remind me of why I still fight."

Summer quirked an eyebrow. The resemblance to Ozpin's own was rather uncanny according to Glynda.

"Sunsets mark the end. For most living creatures, this end comes in the form of sleep to rest themselves during the night." His lips tightened into a straight line. "We don't have that luxury. Once the sun sets, for us, it's game over. She wins."

Ozpin glanced at the sunset before moving back to Summer.

"I fight to prolong the day. I fight to keep that ball of gas shining down upon this broken world. To make sure the inevitable night is pushed back one more hour, one more minute, one more second. Whenever I see the sun dipping below the horizon line, ready to give up and let the night finally consume the sky, I'm reminded of what's at stake. Why I can never rest in making sure the ever-present darkness doesn't consume us all." Ozpin straightened

So, Summer, I have a question for you- one I asked you once many years ago, but something it seems I must ask again. Why do you live?"

Summer refused to meet her Ozpin's eyes, finding some interest in the small stitch lines near the edges of her seat.

"My answer hasn't-"

"No." He cut her off. "I need to hear it from you again."

The gears above turned on, oblivious to the tension between the room's occupants below like they did on the first day the tower was built and will continue to until the tower no longer functioned.

" _Summer."_

Summer sighed and met Ozpin's eyes. The usual loving pools of brown seemed rather solid.

"To protect the innocent, slay the Grimm and love my family with every fiber of my being."

They continued looking into each other's eyes, and she had to wonder what exactly he saw within her own. After a moment that seemed to drag on for an eternity, though the gears said otherwise, Ozpin closed his eyes and sighed.

"So, why did I have to send someone to fetch you from your own house the other night?"

Summer studied the floor tiles with a zeal she didn't know she possessed.

"Qrow."

"What about him?"

"We…fought."

 _More like destroyed a decade's long friendship.  
_

Ozpin hummed in thought.

"Really? I'm surprised. You two are usually-"

Summer's patience suddenly snapped.

"He confessed he was basically in love with me since Beacon, and claimed he never said anything so he didn't kill our 'team dynamic.' He also then gave me an ultimatum on whether or not I want to come clean with why I've pretty much lied to their faces for the past twenty years."

Summer let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. That had been...cathartic.

"...Oh," Ozpin said.

"Oh." Summer agreed.

The gears made their presence known once more as Summer waited.

"Putting aside Qrow's feelings towards you for now, which explains a lot looking back, what do you mean you've been lying to them?"

 _Shit._

Summer couldn't meet his eyes. Again.

 _Coward._

"I never told them about my semblance."

Summer swore she heard the gears pause for just a brief second before returning to their duty.

" _What?_ "

Summer didn't have to look at her father's face to sense the disappointment.

"Summer, you told me you would tell them after your honeymoon! You promised me."

Summer didn't trust herself to respond.

 _Weak._

Ozpin let out a deep sigh.

"Is there any particular reason you decided not to?"

Summer stared at the hands folded in her lap.

 _Selfish._

"Summer, you are not a child anymore. Pouting and refusing to answer my questions won't cut it–not after all the progress we have made. You're not the same broken girl I saved that day."

Summer flinched.

 _Wrong._

"Summer, I'm just trying to understand why you didn't tell them. Even if you didn't right away, you've spent decades with them. There should have been plenty of opportunities somewhere in that timeframe. It's clear you love them and care for them." He said.

Ozpin eyes suddenly widened, then narrowed.

"Unless...you don't actually care for them."

 _ **Wrong.**_

"No!" She snarled. "I love them more than you can ever understand! I will spend the rest of my life with Taiyang, no matter how long that is. Ruby and Yang are my whole world– I will do anything, and I mean anything to keep them safe. Even Qrow and R-" Summer faltered but continued. "Even Raven. And, now– at least to an extent– Jaune has entered that circle. He has so many issues but still tries to _live._ He–" she faltered again, lowering her eyes to the grey tile. "He didn't give up."

The _'like me'_ was left unspoken.

"Sum."

She looked up.

The solid color had finally melted back into his usual loving pools of brown. Her father was back.

"Then tell them that. Exactly what you just said. Tell them you love them more than anything else. Even if you don't have the courage yet to say it, tell them you're sorry, and it's not because you don't care. It's because you don't trust yourself to reach out to the truth."

Summer looked away, so he didn't see her tears.

"Thank you–"

Pale, scared blue eyes locked onto her own as a broken teen spilled out his trauma, not of his own volition.

A shell of a man sat kneeling, pleading her to open her mouth and _talk._

A beautiful woman stood underneath the moonlight, red eyes gleaming in the darkness. The usual confidence that dominated her eyes replaced by a rampant panic and fear.

 _Not yet._

"No."

Ozpin looked startled. Something not many could claim to have accomplished. Actually, only one could claim.

"I–I owe it to them. To _her._ To _all_ of them. To own up to my mistakes. They've dealt with my bullshit for long enough. I–I _need_ to do this. They _deserve_ to know."

Summer leaned back her head and looked at the gears above. She watched as the things she never really paid attention to, the things she never even thought about, locked with one another–forever turning. They never rested, never stopped. But, they were never alone. They turned _together_.

"Dad."

Summer looked at the man that gave her his heart unconditionally and prayed to the Gods that he had some more compassion to spare.

"Come with me?"

Ozpin smiled. The smile that assured her that everything would work out.

"Of course, dear. Let's go fix this mess-"

He stood up and stuck his hand out.

"Together."

Summer _bloomed._

"Together."

She took her father's hand.

* * *

 **Hey, guys. I'm back! Sorry for the hiatus, a combination of real-life stuff and a lack of ideas basically crippled my motivation/ability to finish this chapter. That's kind of unacceptable, so I'm sorry this is so late. Next chapter should be the end of all the Summer-angst and we should be able to dive back into all of the Jaune-angst after that. Woo. Also, I'm planning on making the next chapter really big. So, look forward to that.**

 **Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

 **See ya next time!**


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